


The Heart of the Dragon

by VenIusMago



Series: Whenever You Call [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fantasy, Happy Ending, Implied Top Theo Raeken, M/M, Magic, Pagan Gods, Post-Episode: s05e12, Reincarnation, Slow Build, Soul Bond, Torture, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-05-22 07:04:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6069778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VenIusMago/pseuds/VenIusMago
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"When two souls are meant for each other, no time is too long, no distance is too far and nobody can keep them apart."<br/>This is a story about the true love that knows no boundaries. The journey may be difficult and sacrifices may have to be made, but in the end love always wins.<br/>That is the essence of this fanfiction :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New town, new school, old soul

**Author's Note:**

> If someone asked me a few days ago if I would consider writing a fanfiction, I would definitely tell them that it was not my “thing”. Don’t get me wrong. I love writing. I cannot imagine my life without it. It’s just that I really enjoy creating my own worlds, characters and stories. That’s what makes me truly happy. I’ve been writing since I was ten years old and even back then I wanted to be a creator, a maker. What am I saying; these words don not have enough power. I loved being a “god”. Please, don’t make that face. I do realize it sounds creepy. Anyway. The reason why I’ve decided to start writing a fanfiction is my utter lack of confidence. You see, English is not my first language and, whenever I try translating my bookish stuff into English, I feel like something is missing. It wouldn’t even matter if it wasn’t for the fact that I’m not going to live in Poland forever. It is not a perfect home and a sanctuary for my soul. I’m probably going to move to New Zealand or US. I honestly hope that what I need is practice and the awareness that, even when I do not write in Polish, I can still create something… good. That I can make you laugh, cry, feel something special.  
> Okay, I believe that “me being pathetic part” is coming to end here.  
> Before you move to the prologue I would like to point out a few things.  
> First, I am going to be posting a new chapter every second weekend. If for whatever reason I will not be able to release new content on time, I will let you guys know in the comment section of a previous part.  
> Second, I am fully aware that my language is not going to be perfect but I honestly believe that with time I am going to get better. If after reading a particular chapter/fragment/paragraph you feel like you would like to give me some kind of advice, feel free to post it in a comment section below.  
> Third, whenever I talk about a song or a musical theme in the text, I am going to give you a YouTube link in the notes section below.  
> Forth, although this fanfiction is going to be my language workshop, I hope you are going to like my ideas and perhaps even fall in love with the original character. Even though I marked this fanfiction as explicit, I’m not going to give you detailed descriptions of sexual activities. I am going to try to stay close to the original feeling of the series except for a few concepts; once more – tags. By the way, as the story moves forward, I will probably add some new adventures with more original characters.  
> Without further ado, here goes the prologue to The Heart of the Dragon.

**2500BC**

**EGYPT**

Some people think that deserts can be described with just one word – warmth. Those people must have never spent a night alone surrounded by endless fields of sand and impenetrable darkness. If they have, they would know that with the disappearance of the sun comes impossible cold. You have nowhere to run, your body starts dying and all you can think about is what is going to happen to you after you take your last breath.

Surprisingly, that is not what happened to Ven. He, who has lived in Egypt for more than three hundred years, was not going to die of low temperature. No. His inner energy was strong enough to keep him warm until the sun rose above the horizon the next morning. He knew there was no life for him in Heliopolis after what he had done. You cannot simply take life energy from innocent people and expect to escape the instruments of the ancient law of the gods. Everything comes with a price. Even immortality. Ven never wanted to kill those men and women. They were just too weak to survive the ritual.

For two weeks he wandered west, not really aware of where he was going. In his dreams he heard a voice telling him to find an old temple, which was supposed to be located in the middle of a desert. He ate and drank nothing and, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was something more than human, he would have surely died.

It’s been fifteen days since he left Heliopolis, when he saw an enormous mountain, which has not been marked on any existing map, and found the entrance to the temple. For the first few moments he wasn’t sure whether he was in the right place but suddenly the voice from his dreams came again, this time in real life.

“You finally arrived. Come in.”

The young looking man needed no other sign. Without hesitation he walked through the door. All of a sudden he felt horrible pain in his neck and, before he could realize what was happening, the world fell into darkness.

He woke up with a scream. He was now in a round chamber lighted only by two torches held by strong, muscled men guarding the entrance. His body has been tied to a cold, stone platform and four men were cutting through his skin and flesh with sharp ritual knives. Strange people, cultists as he presumed, were all wearing black masks made of ebony wood. Even with all this pain and surprise, Ven knew that as his blood was leaving his veins his magical energy grew weaker and weaker. His consciousness came back too late. He was no longer able to break free.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked using what was left of his strength.

For a while nobody seemed to care enough to answer. Only when Ven felt the knife piercing through his beating heart, the person holding it took of their mask and showed him their face. It was a young man. He could not be more than twenty years old. His calm face was emotionless, only his clear, blue eyes sparkled like diamonds letting Ven notice his inner struggle. He was in terrible pain.

“You are much too powerful to be left alive,” he said. “I’m sorry, Ven.”

In his last moments he recognized that voice. He didn’t want to believe it and begged the gods not to make him remember but the gods did not help him that night; they wanted nothing to do with him. His killer’s voice belonged to the man he once loved. But how could it possibly be true? He saw him die more than seventy years ago.

There wasn’t enough power left in his body to let him ask any more questions. He felt the last beat of his heart, saw a lonely tear sparkling on his lover’s cheek and… died.

 

**2012**

**BEACON HILLS**

That morning, like every other morning, Noshiko sent Kira and her husband on their way to Beacon Hills High School. She had something special planned for her daughter and needed to make a few preparations. With each passing day the fox was becoming stronger and more dangerous. There was still time to make everything right but she knew that waiting was doing them no good.

She was just about to leave the house, when suddenly the doorbell rang and a strange, unfamiliar feeling disturbed her thoughts.

“Hello? Is anybody home?”

It was definitely a male voice. Noshiko told herself that her behavior was rude and decided to open the door. After all, she was almost a thousand years old and if anything were to happen, she would most likely be able to defend herself.

She expected to see a neighbor, a long lost friend or perhaps someone from high school. She even considered that some old enemy might have actually found her after many years that she has spent in hiding. To her great surprise, when she opened the door, she saw a young boy wearing something that looked like a grey, worn out robe. She wasn’t able to sense his age but his face could have easily been put in a high school senior chronicle. He had deep, brown eyes and medium length dark hair. His skin seemed to be bathed in pure gold.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you but… I need some directions” he said and his face lightened up in a soft smile.

“You do look kind of lost.” Noshiko wasn’t sure if her next words were appropriate but somehow she was not able to stop them from coming out. “Would you like to come in? We can sit in the kitchen and talk.”

“Only if you have some green tea.” His voice sounded strange, like he wasn’t sure if he meant it as a joke or as a threat. 

 _Of course I do._ She thought to herself but said nothing. _I am more than nine hundred years old and I have spent most of my life in Asia. How could I possibly have no green tea in my kitchen?_ “Of course, come in.”

The boy stepped inside and a moment later they both went into the living room. There was a weird tension in the air between them. It was this tension that made Noshiko wonder if she made a right decision by letting a total stranger into her family’s sanctuary. On the other hand… he was just a kid. He was probably Kira’s age and if her daughter ever got lost, she would definitely want someone to help her.

They were almost in the kitchen, when suddenly the boy spoke.

“I’m sorry to tell you this but that thing… what you have planned for your daughter… Well whatever it is, it’s not going to work.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re talking about,” Noshiko answered carefully and kept on walking into the kitchen.

The next few seconds seemed to have lasted forever. When the boy appeared in the room, the old Kitsune made a swift move, her eyes sparkled like two flames, and in a blink of an eye her ancient katana was almost cutting through the skin on stranger’s throat. There was no way for him to escape her tight grip. 

“What are you?” she demanded.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Before he had even managed to think about it, he felt blood on his neck. Kitsune was in no mood for jokes and the blade must have already cut through his skin. His energy was slipping away and there was nothing he could do about it.

“Calm down,” he said. “Please, there is no need for bloodshed. My… My name is Ven and I am a new student at the Beacon Hills High School.”

Noshiko lowered her katana and took a long, deep breath. Maybe she was wrong and the boy was just an ordinary human being with a good intuition. It was possible that the last few weeks made her too cautious and that she simply overreacted. Or maybe not. If the stranger was normal, he would start screaming and the foxlike flames in her eyes would most likely make him fall unconscious.

“Noshiko. My daughter is a senior student at your high school.”

Suddenly the main door feel open and they saw Kira. The girl came closer to them and her face seemed to be a mixture of worry and curiosity.

“As I was saying. Ven, this is my daughter Kira. Kira, this is Ven. I’m not sure who or what he is just yet.”

“Nice to meet you.” The boy nodded slightly and the girl answered with an awkward smile. “I was just about to ask your mom for the directions to your school but since you’re here… Would you mind if I tagged along?”

“No problem but… wouldn’t you like to change first? Are you really going to be wearing… this?”

“What’s wrong with my robes?”

“Absolutely nothing except for them being _robes_ in the first place,” Noshiko said putting down her blade. She turned to her daughter. “Why are you even here, Kira? Shouldn’t you be already in class?”

“I forgot to take my math homework. Sorry. I’ll just jump to my room and we can go.”

When she left, Noshiko went out of the kitchen and asked Ven to follow her. They crossed the living room and got to a big, old wardrobe standing behind a closed door. Even if the boy found it a little strange, he didn’t say anything, when the woman gave him a clean red t-shirt and a pair of dark jeans that seemed to be just a little too tight.

“I don’t know what you are,” she said, “but if you ever try to hurt my daughter or her friends, it’ll be the last thing you’ll ever do.”

For a moment there was only silence. The boy appeared to have taken her advice pretty well. Unexpectedly Noshiko felt an indescribable pain inside of her head. The world started spinning and everything became blurry. She sensed darkness approaching from the void. She wasn’t able to understand this feeling but she knew that whatever was happening to her, it was definitely not good. Suddenly the agony stopped and her sight came back. She felt the smell of green, juicy leaves and heard the birds outside the window singing her favorite tune. The woman took a deep breath and looked at Ven, whose face showed something that she hasn’t seen for a very long time. Something that shouldn’t even exist.

Before she was able to name that feeling, the boy gave her a warm smile. He has already changed into his new clothes and was ready to leave.

“It is not wise to threaten me, Noshiko,” he said. “I may not be a supernatural creature but that does not mean I don’t know how to defend myself. I am really just a new student. Nothing else should trouble your mind. I’m not your enemy. I don’t even believe in enemies. If anything, I may be able to protect your daughter from danger. I have no idea what is going on in this weird little town but nobody is going to convince me that you are the only nonhuman beings living here. I sense a lot of power in this place and it is not just the energy of the fox spirit. I know there is much more. It’s just that… it feels very unfamiliar.”

“Are you ready?”

It was Kira; she was standing in the doorway and from the look in her eyes it was pretty clear that she wanted to get to school as soon as possible. Even if she had noticed Ven’s new clothes, she made no comment.

“Can I leave my robe with you?” the boy asked with lots of uncertainty.

Noshiko was not thrilled by the idea but in the end she simply rolled her eyes and walked them out. Having something belonging to this new student meant that she could consult someone and find out what kind of creature he was.

*******

When they got to the car, Ven realized that it wasn’t Kira that was going to be driving them to school. Inside of the car there were to boys. They both had short dark hair. The one sitting in the driver’s seat seemed nice and friendly, although his physical body lacked some training.  The other one looked strong and a little dangerous; almost like an ancient warrior. _The brain and the muscle._ Ven thought to himself and smiled.

“Hello” he said and instantly realized that it must have sounded awkward.

“Jump in.” Kira invited. “This is my boyfriend Scott.”

“And I am Stiles,” the boy in the driver’s seat said. “Can we go now?”

“Go,” Scott told him smiling at Kira.

And so they went. Their journey to school was kind of weird and almost unpleasant. It turned out that Ven wasn’t really interested in the things they usually talked about. He didn’t like science fiction movies or books but loved fantasy. He has never read any comic books and, when Scott wanted to make him feel welcome in their town and invited him to the dinner party he and his friends were organizing, he refused after he found out that they were going to be eating mostly meat.

“Okay, now that the pointless chit chat time is over, I’m really curious,” Ven said, when they were getting closer to school. “You are a fox and you just have to be human.” He pointed at Stiles and took a deep breath turning to Scott. “What are you?”

Scott, Stiles and Kira looked at each other at the same time and the car stopped. They were truly shocked.

“You know?” Scott asked warily. 

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Scott, maybe we shouldn’t tell him. We have no idea who he is and where he actually came from…” Stiles started but his friend was already saying the words.

“I am a wolf.”

“You can turn into an animal?” Ven wanted to make sure he understood. “Are you a human being or a beast?”

“He’s not an actual wolf. He is a werewolf,” Kira explained. “He can transform his own body into something that looks like a mixture of a human and a wolf. I think it’s easier to show it than describe it with words.”

“No,” Ven stated and his tone was unexpectedly cold. “I believe you. By the way, do not underestimate the power of words. It is greater than you may think.” He took a deep breath. “Are there any more surprises that I should know about?”

Scott and Stiles looked at each other at the exact same time. There were just too many things that he should know if he was a supernatural being. If he has just moved to Beacon Hills and knew nothing about the danger that crawled it’s streets in the night, then it was their responsibility to warn him. He was going to be alone, without a pack.  Scott knew it wasn’t right. Nobody deserved that kind of fate. 

“There is much for you to know,” he said and almost fell out of the car when Stiles struck him in the face with his free hand. “What the…?”

“He is a stranger,” Stiles said. “For all we know he may even be the evil that keeps killing innocent people. You have no right to tell him anything.”

Young werewolf looked confused but decided that it was important to keep his pack together, especially in these difficult times. Besides, Stiles had a pretty good intuition when it came to protecting his friends. He squinted his eyes and tried to come up with at least some kind of information that could keep the new student from possible harm.

“Just don’t wander the streets in the middle of the night. If you don’t have to, don’t even leave the house after dark.”

Ven nodded but at the same time he knew perfectly well that leaving the house has just became one of his priorities for that night.

*******

He didn’t feel particularly welcome with Kira and her friends so he told them that he was going to walk around the school for a while and not attend the first class. Besides, he really hated math. Skipping it just this once didn’t make him feel all that guilty.

He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of evil Scott wanted to warn him about. Should he really listen to him and stay home after dark? How bad did something have to be to scare a Kitsune and a werewolf? Ven knew that he was not defenseless but even with all his power he really hated the unknown. And there were so many uncertain things in this crazy world. That was one of the main reasons why his soul has never been able to feel at peace.

He was walking around the school and thinking of a million things at the same time, when suddenly his body collided with something; something like a pillar or a wall. But it couldn’t be any of those things because it wasn’t cold. It was warm, it smelled like summer rain and… it was moving.

Ven opened his eyes and saw a young student standing not more than a few centimeters from his face. He was almost a head taller and looked much stronger than Ven. He was wearing a tight, black t-shirt that nicely highlighted his well-shaped muscles. Broad arms, strong neck… and even the veins were barely visible. _Gods. That’s too perfect. I need to leave._ The boy’s face seemed almost noble. He had sun-touched skin, deep, blue eyes and short, brown hair. _I should have left before I looked._

“You okay?” the boy asked and his eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“I am.” That answer was short. Too short. “Sorry about that… I’ve just transferred from a… different school and I was looking for a classroom.”

He lied. Or did he? He didn’t tell the truth and the words just popped out.

“Okay, then.” Even if the boy sensed a lie, he didn’t say anything. “Well, it’s nice of you to stop by my chest.”

He was smiling. Or was it really a smile? It looked… it felt more like a smirk. Ven wasn’t sure whether the boy was making fun of him or trying to be nice. Whatever it was, it seemed strangely familiar.

“I’m Ven,” he said and almost instantly wondered if giving out his name just like that was a good idea.

“Theo”.

“Nice to meet you, Theo,” Ven said and, even though there was nothing funny about it, they both started laughing. When they realized how they synced, they laughed even harder. A few moments later Ven added. “Sorry ‘bout that. I just wanted to say your name.”

“Hang on a second.” Theo crossed his arms. “You must be this mysterious new student, who was supposed to join out class for the senior year, aren’t you?”

“That is correct.”

The boy seemed both surprised and happy with his deduction skills. He briefly squinted his eyes as if he wanted to come up with the best possible idea and, when nothing came, he released the air that he must have been holding in his lungs.

“In that case we’re in the same class,” he said. “Look, I still need to use the toilet so… we’re having math in room 213. I guess I’ll see you there?”

“No.” Theo wasn’t able to hide the surprise that filled his face. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. Just hurry up. I’ll wait for you here and we’ll go together.”

“Just give me a minute,” Theo said slowly. He looked pretty confused but he was not going to reject a new friendship. With everything that’s been happening lately he desperately needed to make some friends.

It seemed like Ven was going to attend that math class after all.

*******

“I’m worried about Lydia,” Kira said to Scott, when they were going through some boring, scientific text. “I’m not sure if putting her in the Eichen House was a good idea. Are you sure her mother knows what she’s doing?”

Scott didn’t know what to tell her so he decided to focus on their assignment instead. It was Stiles who poked the girl’s back.

“Has anything connected to that place ever been a _good idea_?” he asked. “We need to get her out of there. I’m already working on something. Just give me a few more days.”

Kira nodded and Scott, who must have been both doing math and listening, released a strong breath. He was really glad that his pack was once again on the same side. Stiles has always been like a brother to him and their argument hit him very hard. His relationship with Liam seemed to be a little shaken but he thought they were on the right path. Now they only needed to do something with Kira’s inner fox and rescue Lydia. After that… everything would be the way it used to; the way it should always be. Well… almost. There was also this weird new guy. Ven? Yep, that was his name.

“How do you know this new student?” he asked Kira.

“I don’t. He was talking to my mom this morning. Besides that, I have never seen or heard of him before.”

“But he’s human, isn’t he?” Stiles’s interjection made them all wonder.

“He seems normal,” Scott said. “I just don’t know why he knows about the supernatural.”

Suddenly the classroom door opened and Ven stepped inside. To their surprise, he wasn’t alone. Right beside him there was Theo. The same Theo that took Scott’s life just a few days earlier. Kira, Scott and Stiles couldn’t help but wonder whether the boys just met or knew each other all along.

Unexpectedly, Ven waved at them and, to their utter surprise, left Theo and sat next to Stiles.

“I’m back,” he said with a small smile.

“Here, be of some use.” Stiles gave him his notebook filled with very weird exercises.

“Nope, I don’t think so.”

“Why didn’t you sit with Theo? Are you guys friends? ”

“We’ve just met,” Ven said rolling his eyes. Stiles seemed relieved. “What. Why would you react that way? What’s wrong with being friends with Theo? Stop this. Why are you looking at me like I am crazy or stupid?”

Stiles looked at Theo, who appeared to be focused on his work.

“I’m not going to tell you anything. Just… stay away from him.”

“Look. I’m not sure if you understand this but I’m kind of new here and I could use a few friends. Why do you keep me at a distance?”

At that moment Scott turned to face them both. There was no doubt about the fact that he was already tired with all this hiding and lying. He hated when he was forced to deceive other people, especially innocents, and for him that was exactly who Ven was. _Why would Stiles want to keep him in the dark?_

“We’re going to tell you everything there is to know,” he told Ven. “But you need to do something for us first. It’s Saturday tomorrow. Come, visit me at the Animal Clinic. I need to ask you about a few things. Is that fair enough?”

“No, it is not.” Scott’s face went almost pale. He felt a strange warmth in his throat. It was something that he’s never experienced before and it disappeared before he was even able to cough. He wasn’t sure but he thought that for just a fraction of a second he saw a gold light in Ven’s brown eyes. “But I will do it if it’s going to make you feel less worried,” he added.

*******

The night is dark and full of terrors… Or so they say. That night was no exception. After almost an hour of considering his options, Ven decided that leaving the house while being unaware of that unknown evil, Scott has warned him about, was not a good idea. He needed to make some preparations and create a sacred space in his apartment. There weren’t too many blocks of flats in Beacon Hills and the one that the boy has moved into was located very close to the forest.

He moved from New York just the other day and he came alone. His parents disappeared three years before that and he had no family left. There was no reason for him to stay on the East Coast. He needed to change his life.

“Blessed be,” he said calmly.

He was sitting in his living room before a small, round table. Although is still lacked a few things, it was an altar and Ven was a witch. He was not Wiccan and didn’t follow any particular tradition. He did try to join a coven once but it didn’t go so well. After a conversation they told him that there was something very strange and possibly dangerous about him and banished him from their grounds. After that encounter Ven went for the books. He read many interesting things and learnt how to cast basic spells, but he still felt like there was something missing. That was when he started having these weird dreams. He dreamt of the ancient times. He saw powerful magic, lots of pain and even his own death.

“Burn,” he commanded, his voice strong and stable.

Suddenly three golden candles filled the room with light. After a few minutes the boy started breathing in a strangely irregular way. If normal, natural breathing could be connected to meditation, this one pictured the essence of chaos.

“Let’s see, what terrifies you so much.”

At first, he saw nothing. No. Not _nothing_. Nothingness. It filled his mind and made him forget about the world around him. On the surface of blackness he could slowly notice his own thoughts. They were like living, shining patterns that floated through the endless energy of the universe. _Come on. Show yourself._ The wind started howling outside the window but he kept going deeper into his own mind.

Suddenly he heard a crash and realized that the window has been broken. He instantly stood up and turned around. The glass was everywhere but there was nobody standing in the room. _Maybe it was just that freaking wind…_ He was going to go back to his chaotic meditation, when all of a sudden he felt a burst of unknown energy. Without hesitation he turned towards it and raised his right hand in a sign of protection.

He definitely wasn’t alone. Thanks to the light cast by the candles on the altar he saw a teenage girl. He knew she was human but her looks suggested something very different. Her face was dark, eyes glowing and… her body looked almost diseased. She had claws, fangs and a tail that seemed truly dangerous.

“Who are you?” Ven asked with a fake smile.

Instead of answering, the girl tried to attack. To her own surprise, she couldn’t. Something was forbidding her from making any moves.

“What have you done?” she demanded.

“Did you honestly think that you can make an assault on my ritual chamber and be able to hurt me in my sacred space? That is… beyond stupid. Let me reverse my question. What kind of creature are you? Your energy feels… human.”

“I won’t tell you anything.”

“Yes, you will. You just don’t know it yet.”

This time Ven’s smile seemed honest and warm. Without effort he slightly moved his fingers and the girl started screaming in agony. Her eyes and ears were bleeding and the veins in her body were about to burst into flames.

“Have you changed your mind?”

She roared in pain but didn’t say anything.

“All right, I don’t have time for this.”

He crossed his fingers and with a soft moan the girl fell unconscious. She was no longer a threat so he came closer and slowly put his hands on her temples. She was definitely more than human but… it wasn’t healthy. _How did this happen to you, you poor little thing?_ He went deeper. It was the only way. There were some images flashing before his eyes. A shadow. Something extremely powerful. _Hold on. Theo?_ _Does that mean that they know each other? They must._

Suddenly he had no wish to inspect her mind any further. He stood up, took a few steps back and snapped his fingers. The girl woke up. Whatever it was that made her look like a monster, started disappearing and she was now just a girl. At least for a moment. She looked terribly confused and he easily sensed her fear.

“Don’t be afraid,” Ven said carefully.

“What did you do to me?”

“I suppressed your anger and your… powers automatically disappeared.”

“Does that mean that… that I’m free?

The boy saw a sparkle of hope in her eyes and suddenly his heart started aching. He wondered if it was possible that her anger was the only thing… Maybe she was cursed. No. He would have sensed it. He wanted to help her but didn’t know how.

“I’m afraid not. But I believe that there might be a way to make you better. Normal, if that’s what you want to call being a pure human being.”

“I’m so tired…”

“You’re still under the influence of my power. It’ll pass. First, I need you to tell me four things. Let’s say that you do this in exchange for your freedom. What do you say?”

“Will you hurt me, if I don’t tell you anything?”

“No. I will not.”

It was obvious that she wasn’t convinced but, nevertheless, she seemed willing enough to cooperate. That was a great relieve for Ven.

“My name is Tracy,” the girl said with slight hesitation. “I’m… I am a chimera and some people made me what I am today. I came here for something with your DNA.”

 _You’re an abomination._ He didn’t say that aloud. It was just a thought.

“I am not going to judge you, Tracy. You’ve already answered three of my unasked questions. Only one remains. I would be grateful if you could keep this one to yourself. How do you know Theo?”

Her face turned white. She was really afraid and couldn’t do anything about it. Ven had no idea what to do with her. He needed to know the answer. After a moment, he took a deep breath and, as he released the air, the room sparkled with joyful, golden energy. The girl’s heart once again started beating regularly.

“Go on,” Ven encouraged.

“I think he is the first chimera… or maybe not… I’m not sure. But he _is_ our leader.”

The words collapsed heavily on Ven’s heart. He was definitely not expecting that kind of answer. Theo seemed so… nice. Unlike Tracy’s, his energy felt very pure and almost heartwarming. There was something more to this whole situation. There had to be. There was nothing more that Ven wanted to hear from Tracy so he decided to let her go. He walked her outside, not lowering his magical barrier even for a second. He was already going back to his apartment, when suddenly he heard the girl’s voice.

“Can you tell me your name?” she asked. 

“Ven,” he answered with a smile. “And you don’t need my DNA. Tell your… leader… that I am a witch, which means that I am just a human with a very powerful soul. I didn’t come here to threaten anyone but if somebody tries to hurt me, I am going to do to them things so horrible that they’re going to beg me for a merciful death.”

Having said that, he smiled even wider and disappeared among impenetrable darkness.


	2. My heart is on the run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was supposed to be uploaded in two weeks but... whatever.  
> I hope you enjoy it :)

“All right,” Scott started and everyone turned to listen to him.

Everyone meant just a few friends. Of course, Stiles had to be there. He had so many doubts about this new student that he couldn’t simply waste the chance to prove that his intuition was not deceiving him. There was also Kira, who brought the grey robe that the boy had left with her mom. Malia promised she would come, but at that moment she wasn’t there. There was something off about her lately. Scott wanted them to talk but it seemed that she was afraid of something. Maybe she thought the alpha would not approve of her plans?

“Don’t you think that Liam should be here by now?” Stiles asked. He looked nervous. “And where is Deaton, when we need him?”

“I don’t know,” Scott seemed worried. “I haven’t seen him lately. I hope that nothing bad happened to him. Anyhow, we need to understand something else first. Then we will worry about bringing the rest of our pack back together. Okay?”

Stiles and Kira nodded.

Suddenly they heard banging at the door. Somebody was outside. Earlier that morning Scott covered the entrance to the Animal Clinic with mountain ash. He figured that it was a good way of checking whether Ven was a supernatural creature or a human. They couldn’t simply take his word for it. The times were… too dark for such gullibility. Scott told Kira and Stiles to stay in the main room and went to see who was at the door. As it turned out, it wasn’t Ven but Liam and Hayden.

“Hi,” the young werewolf said. “Why would you spill mountain ash on the floor when you knew that we were coming? Oh, yeah, about that. Is it okay if Hayden stays with us just this once?”

“Sure, come in,” Scott answered and disturbed the ash using one of Deaton’s tools. “Sometimes they come in handy.”

“Is he already here?” Hayden asked, when they were going back to Kira and Stiles.

“No, not yet. Why?”

“There is something about him that I need to tell you. All of you.” A few seconds later they walked into the main room and she decided to continue. “Last night Theo sent Tracy to check whether this new guy was one of us… or one of you. When she came back, she was human. She wasn’t able to turn. She said that he told her to tell Theo that he was a witch and that he didn’t come here to hurt anyone.”

Scott, Stiles and Kira looked at one another. They all seemed equally confused. The only magic users they have ever encountered were the druids and even that was a long time ago. The more they found out about Ven, the less they liked him.

“I don’t think he’ll be able to cross the mountain ash,” Stiles said and suddenly his face turned pale.

Ven was standing in the doorway, a warm smile on his face. He was wearing dark, brown robes and he had a golden amulet on his neck. It sparkled like a million colors and seemed to be vibrating. The first thing that crossed Stiles’s mind was _magic_. They all wondered how much of what they said the boy might have heard. He didn’t look angry or worried. Kira could almost swear that there was some kind of energy floating around him. It wasn’t bad. It felt like sunshine and honey.

“Hello,” he said and the happiness in his voice made everyone a little less nervous. “Are you okay? Did I interrupt something? I thought I was supposed to stop by in the morning and…”

“No, it’s good that you’re here.” Scott was the first to put himself together.

“Yesterday at school, you told us the truth, didn’t you?” Stiles asked. “You are human.”

“It’s more complicated than that. I am and I am not at the same time. Hayden is right. I am a witch. My soul is very old and has lived many human lives in this world. However, I am not really mortal. It may be a little difficult to explain.”

“If someone wanted to kill you, would they be able to do that?” Stiles had a feeling that he was crossing some kind of line.

Apparently, he was not. Or was he? Ven came closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder; he was still smiling. Suddenly Stiles heard a weird sound and his eyes turned black. He saw the world filled with eternal fire and constant suffering. A moment later everything collapsed and the vision took him to a desert. He sensed unimaginable pain and loneliness. The sun was making him tired and he wanted to lie down but at the same time he knew that doing so would mean his death. His body started shivering.

“Stop this,” Scott said and his voice almost sounded like a roar. “You’re hurting him.”

Ven stepped back and looked at Stiles, who seemed to be a little shaken.

“To answer your question,” the witch said, “they could try to kill me. However, I’m afraid that they would die trying. Either way, I am not invincible. Sorry about what happened inside of your head, Stiles. I was just making my point.”

“What have you done to Tracy?” Hayden asked. “She is… weak.”

 _So my magic still hasn’t left her body?_ Ven rubbed his hands and said. “Unfortunately, my doing is not permanent and she will go back to being that… monster. I wanted to release her from that curse, but it turns out that I am not strong enough. Her condition was not caused by magic and therefore magic will not be able to undo it.”

“We want to help her too,” Scott mentioned. “We want to save all the chimeras.”

“No,” Stiles interrupted. “ _You_ want to save them. You probably still have a spark of hope for saving Theo, don’t you?”

Before the alpha was able to open his mouth, Ven said in a determined voice. “We _are_ saving Theo. There is no doubt about that. If you have other plans, I will not stand by your side. That is my condition.”

“You have no idea what he’s like,” Liam said.

“Tell me.”

“I guess it’s only fair that you know the truth.” Surprisingly, it was Stiles. “You came here and told us the truth about what you are. Scott is right. You deserve to know everything. A few days ago, Theo killed Scott in order to steal his power. He wanted to use the energy of the supermoon. The pack was in pieces and we were all weakened. Fortunately, our alpha came back and it seems that Theo was not able to take his magic after all.”

“I am still healing from that wound,” Scott said pulling up his shirt.

Ven didn’t want to look at his body. Even without it he felt so much blood and raw meat that it almost made him shiver. All of a sudden his memories came back and he was once again in Ancient Egypt. Knives were cutting his body and the ocean of blood filled the room with extraordinary magic. He tried to wave the vision away but he just couldn’t. Something was burning in his very soul. His eyes went black and suddenly… everything stopped. He took a very deep breath and slowly exhaled trying not to look nervous.

“What was that?” Scott asked and Ven realized that everyone was looking at him with fear, confusion and concern.

“It was nothing important. Just a memory.”

“Well, it looked like one _hell_ of a memory,” Stiles said crossing his arms. “For a moment there we weren’t sure if you were still with us.”

“It’s complicated and you don’t need to trouble yourself with that. Going back to what we were talking about, we are saving Theo. It doesn’t matter what he might have done. He is still a teenager and somebody must have hurt him real bad with this chimera thing.” They didn’t look convinced. “Look. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s easy to hang on to pain and hate. It is much more difficult to forgive.”

“There is something more that you need to know,” Scott started and hesitated. “Remember when I told you not to leave the house after dark? It wasn’t because of Theo or Tracy. There are these crazy scientists. We call them the Dread Doctors. They made all the chimeras and they also created something that… It’s called the beast. It kind of looks like a werewolf but it is much bigger and a lot stronger that all of us.”

Ven looked a little unimpressed. He remembered many dangers that he had to face thorough his multiple lifetimes and an overgrown wolf didn’t really seem like much of a threat. _But maybe that’s because I haven’t seen it yet?_

“Thank you for telling me this,” the witch said and smiled softly. “I guess I better get going.”

“Don’t you want to stay?” the alpha asked. “We were going to discuss some important things.”

“I’m good, Scott. Thanks.”

Before anyone could say anything more, Ven smiled and left the building.

*******

The sun was shining joyfully and birds were singing in a way that made Ven think about the past. He wasn’t surprised that his memories caught up with him in the Animal Clinic. Whenever he used his magic, he had to become fully connected to the core of his soul. It usually went without any problems, but there were moments, when the pain that has been gathered in his spirit for almost five thousand years was just too much to bear. He lived many different lives but there was only one life... one time when he found true love. It was his first and longest life that ended in a very tragic way.

 _No. No more._ He waved his hands in order to send his thoughts away.

Suddenly he heard something moving among the trees. He was standing in the middle of a lonely path and, wherever he looked, he saw only forest. He didn’t like the energy that surrounded him. He wasn’t safe here. The sound came again, this time a little close. Ven prepared a protective spell in his right hand and pricked up his ears. _Yeah, moving here was such a great idea. Did I really think I would find peace so close to the supernatural?_

The witch was ready to fight, when all of a sudden he felt something warm inside his chest. He smelled the summer rain. _Summer rain? Hold on a second._

“Theo?” he asked but didn’t lower his defenses.

Something moved behind him and he swiftly turned around. It _was_ Theo after all. He was wearing tight, blue jeans and a black hoodie. His face was emotionless and he seemed to be lost in a thought.

“How did you know it was me?” he asked.

“I smelled the summer rain and it reminded me of yesterday.” As soon as he said that, Ven knew that it was beyond pathetic.

“You remembered my smell?” Theo smirked.

“No,” the witch answered quickly. Too quickly. The other boy started laughing. But it wasn’t an evil laugh. It seemed familiar and warm.

Theo came closer to Ven and suddenly noticed that he was still holding a spell. For a moment there he wondered if he should say something to ease his nerves but, before he was able to do that, the witch sighed and dispelled his magic.

“Don’t be mad,” the chimera said and his smirk turned into a smile. “It’s really nice to talk to someone who instead of thinking how disgusting I am in their eyes, connects me to… summer rain. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one before.”

“I’m not mad.”

“I guess Scott told you some things about me?” Theo hesitated. For a few seconds his face turned almost white. He coughed and continued. “Tracy and Hayden told me something interesting about you as well…”

“Are you okay?” Ven made a few steps towards the boy. “You look rather pale.”

“It’s nothing. I just… felt something.”

Suddenly Theo lost his breath and collapsed on the ground. The witch didn’t hesitate even for a second. He crouched close to Theo’s body, filled his hands with healing magic and put them on the chimera’s heart. As soon as he did it, unimaginable pain coursed through his veins and made it almost impossible for him to breathe. He started coughing but kept on pouring his magic into Theo’s heart. He felt his own energy weakening and, before he was able to stop the spell, his head collapsed on the boy’s chest. He didn’t even manage to move himself to the ground, when the darkness took away his consciousness.

*******

He woke up in his own bedroom. _What. Just. Happened._

His body still hurt a little but he decided to get up and find out what happened after he had collapsed. He walked into the living room and realized that there was something lying on his altar. One snap of his fingers and three golden candles burst into terrifying flames. _Whoa._ That was not supposed to happen. Ven focused on his magic and filled the fire with peace. After that he went to the altar and noticed that the _new_ _thing_ was a note. _Thanks for the healing. Meet me tonight at the high school’s entrance? See you there. Theo._

Ven wasn’t sure what to think. He had a really weird feeling. Something was not right but he didn’t know what it was. It was a shame that he didn’t ask Scott for his phone number. That way he could call him now and ask for backup. _Who am I to need backup?_ He was pretty convinced that he would be able to handle Theo and his pack of chimeras if it came to some king of fighting. At the same time he really hoped that Theo wasn’t going to do anything stupid. They were on rather friendly terms. There was no need for any arguments. _Unless he wanted something…_

Suddenly an idea struck Ven like a lightning. He was a witch and he was able to kind of spy on what Theo was doing without putting himself in any real danger. It seemed sensible so he sat down before his altar and started meditating. This time there wasn’t any chaotic energy in his mind. His thoughts felt incredibly peaceful. It took him a moment before he managed to focus on the smell that Theo has left on his note, but after a few tries he did. At first the only thing he saw was his new high school. There was nobody there. _Maybe it is still too early?_ No, it was already dark outside. Unexpectedly his vision became blurred and it was hard for him to see what was going on. Somebody appeared near the main entrance. It must have been Theo. But… there was someone else. Ven felt an awful headache but didn’t allow himself to stop the spell. Three strange men were now walking towards the young chimera. They looked dangerous. _Are they even human?_ They were wearing masks. _Hold on. Are those the doctors that Stiles and Scott told me about?_ They started talking. Ven couldn’t understand almost anything of what they were saying. There was something about a failure and power. Theo’s fear was getting stronger with each second. _No. His heart!_ Casting aside his better judgement, Ven quickly took a knife from his altar and stuck it in his left hand. He cried out in pain and his body fell unconscious.

At the same time his spirit materialized right next to Theo. Although he wasn’t there in flesh, he was definitely visible. Horrible scream instantly filled his mind but he stood his ground. The young chimera looked at him in pure astonishment.

“I am so…” he started but was interrupted by a wave of weird energy.

It wasn’t magic. It must have been sent by the doctors. They were standing a few meters from Ven and looked absolutely terrifying. They were no longer human. Their obsession with the supernatural and with their own power made them something unnatural. In Ven’s eyes they were a disgrace to this world. An abomination.

“Do not come any closer,” the witch commanded. “This is your first and last warning.”

One of the doctors made a few steps towards him.

“Failure,” he said.

“And my name is Ven. I would like to say that it is nice to meet you… but it is not.”

Ven looked at Theo. He seemed to be weakened, but at least he was still standing on his own feet. _It is going to be okay._ The witch was about to cast a protection spell on Theo and himself, when all of a sudden the ground started shaking. They heard a frightening roar and saw a shadow. Something was coming from behind the doctors. Ven had no doubt that if he was standing there in the flesh, he would be trembling. That thing… It must have been the beast. It was _much_ bigger than a wolf. There wasn’t much time left. Ven wouldn’t be able to hold his astral projection for much longer.

“Theo,” he said looking at the boy. “You need to focus, okay? I can help you but you need to trust me.” There was an ocean of uncertainty in the chimera’s eyes. “Please, just this once. It doesn’t matter what you almost did.”

“Okay.” The word came out raspy and dry.

“Take my hand.”

The beast was getting closer and Ven was already able to feel its dark energy. They were seriously running out of time. _What if he won’t be able to believe and he won’t get a hold of my hand?_ Before these thoughts managed to consume his mind, the witch felt a warm touch on his right palm. He smiled warmly, looked Theo in the eyes and a moment later they both disappeared.

They instantly reappeared right before the altar. Ven opened his eyes and made sure that his body was unchanged. Everything seemed to be okay, except maybe for the bleeding hand. But it didn’t matter. It was necessary for the spell. Theo was lying on the ground next to him; his breathing was heavy but stable. _I did it._ Ven thought to himself and at the same moment the other boy opened his eyes. He was a little confused but it didn’t look like he was going to be sick after the spell.

“What happened to your arm?” he asked. “You’re bleeding.”

“I had to use some… drastic measures to be able to cast this spell. It was more complex than what I usually do.”

Suddenly Theo’s face became sad and his feelings filled it with guilt.

“You didn’t have to help me. But you did it. Twice. In return I gave you betrayal. I’m grateful but… I think I should go. I understand that you might have felt the need to save me out there but…”

“Are you done?” The boy didn’t answer but his eyes opened much wider. “Good. You’re not going anywhere. Not tonight. Go take a shower and then you can sleep in my bed.”

“In your bed?” Theo asked. His sadness instantly turned into a smirk. “You mean…?”

“Oh gods. Really? In times like this I truly regret being a witch. Trust me. I did _not_ want to see your thoughts.”

“I think you did and I think you liked them.”

“Excuse me?” Ven couldn’t help but smile. “Just go. Take that shower.”

Without hesitation Theo started taking off his clothes. His hoodie was already lying on the ground and he was about to take off his t-shirt, when he felt a slight brush. Ven was shaking his head and gently pushing him towards the bathroom with his magic. He started laughing. They both did. Even though Ven was still bleeding and somewhere out there the beast was probably killing innocent people, that night… they didn’t care. They’ve already had their share of danger and adventure.

*******

Ven spent that night on meditation. He needed it for his wound to heal and to cast necessary protection spells on himself and Theo. He was pretty sure that as soon as the boy woke up, he would want to leave, and there wasn’t anything that Ven could do about it. And… the beast was still out there. Maybe it attacked only at night? Well, even if that was true, it definitely didn’t mean that this town was safe.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and Ven quickly ran to get it. _It’s not even 7am._ Theo was still sleeping and he didn’t need anyone to wake him. After the encounter with the beast he deserved some rest.

It was Stiles. He looked a little shaken but there was still a small smile on his face, when Ven opened the door.

“Hi,” he said. “Can I come in?”

“Stiles.” Ven wasn’t sure if it was a good idea but he agreed _._ “You do realize that it’s really early, right?”

“Oh trust me, I know that. I don’t like waking up so early either, but I just needed to make sure that we’re on the same side, you know? You left so unexpectedly yesterday, and we were not sure whether we could count on your help.”

They walked into the living room. Suddenly Ven realized that Theo’s hoodie was still lying on the ground. He picked it up and almost fell over because of the smell that hit his nostrils. _Seriously?_ Stiles looked like he didn’t care what Ven was doing. He was busy examining the small altar. _Forgot ‘bout that too._ There was still blood all over the candles.

“What kind of help do you mean?” the witch asked in an almost professional way.

“There are three things that need to be done if we want to stand a chance against the beast and the Dread Doctors.” He saw Ven roll his eyes but continued nevertheless. “We need to help Kira _calm_ her inner fox, we have to get Lydia out of the Eichen House and… we must find a way to… outmaneuver Theo.”

“You picked your last words carefully,” Ven said with a smile. “Thank you.”

“Look. Personally, I hate Theo’s guts and he can rot for all I care. But… when you left yesterday, we talked about it and Scott wants you to know that he… we are on your side. If you want to save Theo, we’ll just have to find a way to do it.”

All of a sudden the bedroom door fell open and they saw Theo. He was still a little sleepy and wore only a pair of brown boxer briefs. Stiles’s eyes opened so wide that Ven was barely able to keep himself from laughing.

“What is _he_ doing here?!” he asked.

“Hi, Stiles,” Theo said with his usual smirk.

“Why is he naked?”

Ven looked at Theo. He was standing in the bedroom door; even though his body was relaxed, he could clearly see his wonderfully shaped muscles. _I need to stop looking. Right now. Yep, just a second. No! Right now._

“Could you, please, put this on?” he asked and threw him his hoodie.

“Well, if you really want me to…”

“Just. Do. It.” There was a fire in Ven’s eyes. It was something that he hasn’t felt for a very long time. Part of him wanted to be able to talk to Stiles without any distractions, but the other part was… kind of jealous. It didn’t want Stiles to see Theo’s body. Ven found that feeling more than interesting.

After a few moments of unbearable silence, Stiles came back to his question. He no longer looked surprised. It felt more like worry.

“Why is he here, Ven?”

“We had a rough night,” Theo answered before Ven was able to open his mouth.

Stiles didn’t even look at him. His eyes were still focused on the witch.

“He’s kidding, right?”

“No, not really,” Ven sighed and gave him a small, reassuring smile. “But it’s not what you may think. We had a pretty tough encounter last evening and I had to teleport us here. We were both tired so I invited Theo to spend the night.”

Stiles released a long breath. It was obvious that he was relieved.

“Okay,” he said. “We don’t have much time. Kira’s mom wants to take her to some kind of desert to fix her inner fox.”

“Why would she do that?” Ven couldn’t hide his astonishment. “I’ve already told her that it was not going to work. She’s only putting Kira in danger. And, by the way, you cannot _fix_ something that is a part of your soul. You can work with it. You can. You can even make it do your bidding but… you can’t _fix_ it.”

“We need to hurry. Come on. Let’s go.” Stiles seemed very eager to leave the apartment. He must have felt awkward with Theo standing in the same room.

“You go,” Ven said, his voice strong and calm. “Just give me your number.”

The boy hesitated for a moment, but pretty soon he wrote down his number, shot Theo an angry look and left. When the door closed, Ven started wondering if his decision to get mixed up in all that supernatural business of Beacon Hills was a good idea. It certainly wasn’t a safe one. What if in the end he would have to pick a side? He really wanted to help Scott and his pack, but on the other hand there was no way he was going to do anything to hurt Theo. _Why do I even care?_ He sighed and turned around.

“You okay?” the other boy looked concerned.

Ven didn’t answer. He stepped closer to his altar and blew out the candles. The protection spell was already working so there was no need for them to stay lit. He felt a little weird. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“I guess you… you probably want to get going,” he said without looking at Theo.

He got only silence for an answer. If he didn’t feel the chimera’s energy behind him, he would have thought that he was alone in the room.

“Could you perhaps turn around?”

The witch hesitated but nevertheless turned towards Theo. He was fully dressed now and stood next to the door. He was definitely about to leave and Ven couldn’t find any good reason for him not to. The spell would protect him from harm.

After a few seconds they both raised their eyes and looked at each other. Suddenly Ven started laughing. There was nothing funny about that situation. He simply couldn’t bear any more tension. This whole experience was very new to him. He hasn’t been this _kind_ of nervous for many lifetimes. It was at the same time nice and unbearable. He felt weak and it honestly scared him.

“Gods, no more drama,” he said.

Theo made a few steps towards him. He was close. Almost too close.

“Look. Before I go, I really want to thank you.” His voice seemed frail but it was without a doubt honest. “For saving my life and… believing in me. I overheard your conversation with Stiles. Sorry, supernatural senses.”

Ven cleared his throat. Suddenly it was very hard to breathe.

“You’re welcome. Do not worry about the beast. When you were sleeping, I was able to cover you with a protection spell. It will keep you from harm. At least for a few days.” He hesitated. “Okay, then. Maybe we should shake our hands or something.”

This time it was Theo that laughed.

“You’re such a mystery to me,” he said. “Even though you seem so… wise and capable of almost anything, you can still be really awkward. It’s nice. And I think that, since you’ve already touched my chest twice, there is no reason for me not to hug you. Come here.”

Ven’s eyes opened wide and his heart started beating in a terrifying rhythm. _I have to run!_

But he didn’t. He had no time to even move, when he suddenly felt Theo’s strong arms embracing him with surprising care and caution. He felt amazing warmth pulsing through his whole body. Their embrace was really tight. The smell of summer rain and sunshine. So it _was_ his natural smell.

Theo was smiling. The other boy’s forehead on his left arm made him feel good and peaceful. Except maybe for the fact that with each passing second Ven’s head was becoming heavier and he seemed to be a little weak.

“Are you okay?”

There was no answer. Theo loosened their embrace and with shock in his eyes realized that Ven was unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter refers to a song by Edyta Górniak.  
> Here is the link:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C8rf4GT6jA


	3. We all have problems with our souls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is slightly shorter and a little chaotic. It was supposed to be that way :)  
> Still, I promise that Chapter 4 is going to sort some things out.

“Mom, I really don’t like this idea,” Kira said, when she and Noshiko were driving together to New Mexico. “We should have let Scott come along.”

“I know what I’m doing, Kira.”

Well… She kind of did, but that didn’t mean that she had no second thoughts. She didn’t tell her daughter anything, except for the fact that they were going to chase after a Native American legend hoping to find a way to calm her inner fox. She knew it wasn’t very reassuring, but she wasn’t the kind of person that would give somebody false hope. Not even her own child. There was so much at stake and so many things could go wrong. Besides that, there was something else haunting her mind since the previous morning. Ven told her that her plan was not going to work. _He can’t possibly see future events. He isn’t a seer._ She was not going to let the words of a young boy make her change her plans.

“Can you at least tell me something more?” Kira asked. “Is it safe?”

“It is not.” Noshiko’s face was drained of emotions.

The girl looked at her mother in pure shock. She knew that the old Kitsune was an unpredictable person, but she has never seen her act with such coldness. Something was very wrong. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea for them to go to New Mexico.

“Mom, stop the car.”

“Kira, we don’t have time for this.” There was a spark of worry in the woman’s face but after a second if went back to pure emptiness.

“Now!” Kira shouted and her eyes turned into flames.

Noshiko slowed down but didn’t pull over.

“Calm down,” she said. She desperately wanted to look at her daughter, but a voice in her mind told her that is wasn’t a good idea. She needed to be strong. Kira wasn’t strong enough, so she had to have enough strength for both of them.

After that spark of anger they fell into silence.

*******

“We need to hurry,” Scott said, when Stiles pulled up in his old jeep. “Where is Ven?”

“He told us to go without him. I gave him my number.”

“So he doesn’t want to help us?”

“I think he does. It’s not that… simple. By the way, do you even know where we are going? There is no point in…”

“I can navigate Kira’s phone. All right. We can’t waste any more time.” Scott sat next to Stiles and they started driving.

They were both terribly nervous. It was obvious that they couldn’t allow anything bad to happen to Kira, but on the other hand the young Kitsune really needed some help. Her powers, her soul as Ven would call it, were out of control and that made her equally dangerous to everyone. Her spirit was filled with fire and anger.

Suddenly, when they were about to cross the Beacon Hills border, they saw someone standing in the middle of the street. They started slowing down and a few seconds later they realized that the unknown person was actually Theo.

“What is he doing _here_?” Stiles’s voice seemed truly surprised. Too surprised.

“Did you expect him to be somewhere else?”

“He was… he was with Ven, when I went to ask him to come with us.”

Although Scott definitely wasn’t happy with Ven being friends with Theo, he didn’t say anything. With each passing day, month and year he was becoming more and more experienced in being an alpha. If there was anything that he has learnt, it was without a doubt patience.

“Should I stop the car?” Stiles asked.

Scott nodded. Theo was no longer a real threat. The supermoon was long gone and the chimera’s plan to steal Scott’s powers has failed. _But what could he possibly want with them?_ Suddenly he thought of many terrible things and lost control over his fangs. Stiles noticed it and looked at him with a question in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Do you thing that he took him hostage?”

Before Stiles had time to answer, Theo was already looking through the window on Scott’s side. His eyes were like pure gold and he looked a little worried. It wasn’t his usual look and they knew that something was not right.

“Why are you here?” Stiles asked.

“I’m coming with you.”

They were not expecting to hear that. Theo would never decide to willingly help save Kira; he didn’t care for her. It might have meant that Ven cast a spell on him and made him help them, or perhaps he had his own agenda. _He always does._ Stiles thought and looked the chimera in the eyes.

“Where is Ven?” Scott has finally managed to hide his fangs. “Stiles said you were together, when he left.”

Theo was done with suspicions.

“Look,” he started. “Can I come with you? I’ll explain everything on the way.”

“No, you can’t,” Stiles answered angrily and wanted to start driving, but Scott stopped him with his hand.

“Get inside,” he said.

Theo sat in the back seat and Stiles met him with a sharp look.

“You can’t be serious.” He started driving.

“Shut up for a moment, okay?” Theo said. “I’ll tell you everything. A moment after you left Ven’s apartment, I was about to leave myself. Still, when we were saying goodbye, something happened and…”

“You can skip the… details,” Stiles frowned but he was no longer mad.

“That’s not funny. I simply hugged him and he… fell unconscious.”

“Well… you do have that effect on people,” Scott said and Stiles burst out laughing.

“I never would have thought of you as a joking type.” Theo wasn’t smiling. His face was deeply focused and showed true concern. “Stop this. Ven is still out cold. He must have wanted to help you, guys, because, when I was sitting next to him and waiting for him to wake up, he filled my mind with a vision. He wanted me to help you save Kira and to remind her mother of his words.”

“And why would you agree to do that?” Stiles asked. “Do you honestly want us to believe that you’re doing this out of the goodness of your heart?”

“No. I’m simply returning the… favor. He saved my life twice yesterday.”

When the other boys heard that answer, they suddenly left the topic and focused on the road. Theo on the other hand couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that he had to leave Ven alone in his apartment. If somebody wanted to hurt him, the witch wouldn’t be even able to fight back. _If something happens to him…_ He found his thoughts really surprising. He was not used to caring for anyone other than himself.

*******

_The endless darkness was truly overwhelming. It felt kind of like the void, except that there was something even more terrifying about it. Love didn’t exist in this place. There was only fear and hate. Well, there were also everlasting shadows but they didn’t really make the situation any better. Why am I here? What happened? Ven wondered. He didn’t expect to get any answers. It was good because… he did not. For what seemed like eons he wandered through never-ending fields of nothingness. He wasn’t able to feel his body so he figured he must have been dreaming. However, if that was the case, why couldn’t he wake up? As a witch he knew many things about dreams and he should have been able to handle them pretty well. He tried everything he could think of but it did him no good. He was trapped in his own mind and he had no idea what to do._

_Suddenly the world around him started transforming. For a moment it became a ball of pure light and finally it turned into a desert. It wasn’t just any desert. It was THE desert. He remembered it like it was yesterday. He practically begged the gods to save him from reliving that scene once again, but they didn’t help him. Maybe they couldn’t. Or maybe… they didn’t want to._

_A scream tore the world and made him shiver. He didn’t want to see. He no longer wanted to remember. He desperately needed to run, but he had no control over his body. His head started turning and a few seconds later his eyes were focused on a dying man. He looked young and, even with dry skin and suffering heart, he seemed truly beautiful. Ven trembled. Why would his mind hurt him with this sight?_

_“I’m so sorry,” he whispered._

_The boy moved a little. He wasn’t mad or angry. There was only confusion in his eyes._

_“Why are you apologizing?” he asked, his voice weak and dry. “It’s not your fault. We both knew the risk, Ven.”_

_“I am not sorry for coming here.” He was shaking. He didn’t want to do this, but he couldn’t stop. “I’m sorry for this.”_

_Even though his soul was aching and dying in agony, his body didn’t hesitate. With tears in his eyes he focused on his magic and ripped the heart out of his lover’s chest._

_Then, when he thought he was going to die of his inner pain, he woke up._

He was lying in his bed. Even though there were no windows in his bedroom, it wasn’t dark. Someone took one of his golden altar candles and placed it on his nightstand. Suddenly, he remembered what he was doing, before he blacked out. _Theo._ He wasn’t here. He must have left some time ago because his energy in the apartment was very thin. _Why did my memories have to affect me when he was… so close?_ He knew he would need to explain what happened. It was not going to be easy and he wasn’t sure how Theo would react. Anyhow, that was a conversation for another time, another day. _Preferably never._

It took him a few minutes to get out of bed but in the end he did. His legs were still a little weak but he managed to get to the bathroom. He looked in the mirror and almost shivered. His face was extremely tired and unnaturally old. Something was not right. His body wasn’t even twenty years old; it had no right to age so drastically because of one black out. _Whoever did this, they’re going to pay._

He left the bathroom and walked into the living room. Two remaining candles on his altar almost automatically became lit and brightened the room. It was already dark outside. _Did I really miss a whole day?_ He had to do something with his troubled soul before he completely lost control. It looked really bad.

“Ven?”

He could have sworn he was alone in the apartment. When he turned around, he realized that he was wrong. He saw Tracy. She was standing next to the door and her body was shaking. He didn’t need her to tell him what was going on. He knew. His magic has almost completely left her energetic body and the chimeric part of her was once again taking over. He felt overwhelming sadness and compassion.

“Hello, Tracy,” he said and made a few steps towards her. “I don’t want to be rude but… what are you doing here?”

“I need help.” She was barely able to speak. The transformation must have caused her some kind of pain. _Maybe it is connected to the fact that underneath that monstrous mask she was still only human._

“I’ve already told you that I can’t cure you…”

“But you did!” she almost screamed. “At least for a while. You gave me back two days of what my life used to me. Ven, please.”

“You want me to smite you with magic?” His surprised look made her angry.

She had no more patience. Her transformation was complete and without hesitation she threw herself at Ven. He had no time to prepare a protection spell. _She_ was very strong and his body was still weak after the blackout. He felt horrible pain, as her claws cut through his skin, and he fell to the ground. He was still able to move but he had to struggle real bad to overcome the paralyzing toxin running through his veins.

Suddenly Tracy, who was just about to rip Ven apart, felt an awful headache and some kind of invisible force pushed her onto the wall. It wasn’t Ven’s doing. When the young witch got to his feet, he saw a barely visible spirit in a form of a cat.

“Thank you, Bast,” Ven said. The animal’s bright , blue eyes were focused on his own.

“You have not been abandoned, child.” The voice of the goddess was calm and powerful. “You will help them, but first, you need to help yourself.”

“What’s happening to me?” He knew he didn’t have much time. “My soul has never been this troubled.”

“Nothing is happening _to_ you. You are doing it to yourself.”

After saying these words, the goddess disappeared and Tracy was released from her dominating influence. This time Ven had enough time to prepare a protective spell. Thanks to the divine energy in the room, he felt a lot stronger. The chimera was noticeably shocked but she still seemed like she was ready to attack.

“You should be paralyzed,” she said.

“Believe me, your poison _is_ working and my body is useless at the moment. If it wasn’t for the fact that I am mostly a spirit, I would be lying on the ground.”

“Why am I still like this? Your spell…”

Ven laughed .

“It wasn’t my spell,” he said. “I was lying on the ground and you were about to kill me. I was in no position to use any kind of magic.”

The chimera roared but didn’t attack.

“Then what was it?”

“I’m not sure if you deserve to know that but… whatever. It was my guardian goddess. Her name is Bast but you may also call her Bastet, The Cat Goddess or simply The Queen of the Night. There was a song… It’s irrelevant.  My life was in danger so she came to save me from ultimate death. You see… Okay. You definitely do _not_ need to know that.”

That was too much for Tracy. She screamed and jumped towards Ven. The witch swiftly evaded her strike and struck her with a stream of fire. Her eyes opened in surprise and she had no idea what to do. She expected him to smite her with his normal power; she only wanted to be cured. Her body was burning and she knew she wouldn’t survive if she stayed. As soon as she decided to run, she realized that she had no control over her legs. _Does he really want to kill me?_ She was lost.

“Do you want me to stop?” the boy asked. “Or maybe you would like me to add a little lightning to these flames?”

Her skin was almost gone and she knew that she didn’t have much time left. Her screams filled the room with weird energy. Ven recognized it right away. Part of her didn’t mind death. _Is she really that stupid?_ He rubbed his hands and the flames disappeared. Tracy’s body started healing but she was extremely weak.

“Listen to me,” he said with a sigh. “You are going to be saved. It is what the goddess has foretold and it is what _I_ want to do as well.”

The chimera was breathing heavily. She was unable to speak.

“Just remember that asking me to strike you with magic in never a good idea. You have no idea what magic is and, believe me, you would be terrified if you knew some things about it. You are going to get better and I do think that you will get your life back. I hope that we will be able to do the same for all the chimeras.”

“Theo will never let you do that.” The damage on Tracy’s throat has been partially healed. “He is our leader and he wants us to be what we are now.”

“The matter of Theo is very complicated. Nothing is as simple as it seems. Look, Tracy… I think you should go. There is no point in us fighting. I can stop you from transforming for two or three days but… that’s it.”

The girl’s eyes sparked with hope. They exchanged no more words; they didn’t need to. Ven approached her and put his both hands on her temples. She felt a sudden tickling in her mind and realized that the witch’s magic was running through her whole body. Her anger turned into peace and the urge to transform disappeared. When the boy finished the procedure, he saw tears in Tracy’s eyes. She was… happy. Suddenly, before he was able to react, she caught him in a tight, thankful hug.

“All right, enough,” he said after two seconds. “Come back the day after tomorrow and we will make the effect of the spell last longer.”

“Thank you, Ven.”

A few minutes later she was gone and the boy used his magic to clean up after the fight. He looked at the clock. It was already 10pm. _Where is Theo?_ Suddenly he felt a tingle in his mind and remembered his morning conversation with Stiles. He didn’t have much time. He needed to find a way to help Kira.

*******

“Did you honestly think that they were going to help us?” Kira asked her mother, when another spear barely missed her shoulder.

“The Skinwalkers are supposed to…”

Before she was able to finish, Noshiko heard a movement in the air behind her and, without hesitation, she slashed it with her katana. The blade stopped on something that might have been human once. It was a strong woman wearing a ritual armor made of many different animal skins. Her body was in perfect shape and she was blocking the Kitsune’s blow with her own razor.

“You will not leave this place alive,” she said. “You have no honor.”

“I’m not going to let you keep my daughter in this foul place.” Noshiko’s voice was powerful but it was obvious that she was heartbroken. “Kira, go to the car. Now.”

The girl wasn’t sure what she should do. Suddenly, before she was even able to think, a sharp spear went through her left leg. She let out a horrible scream and her eyes turned into living fire. She felt pure rage and had no intention of calming down. Her katana made a swift move and struck the Skinwalker that was fighting with her mother. The woman had no time to block the blow; her body stuttered and she fell dead on the ground. Kira smirked but one death wasn’t enough for her inner fox. Without hesitation she swung her blade and attacked Noshiko. The old Kitsune jumped back and swiftly evaded the strike.

“Kira! Calm down!” She was shouting. _Ven was right._ All her hope started fading; she had no idea how to fight the Skinwalkers and run from her daughter’s blows at the same time.

Suddenly, she heard the engine of a car. She carefully turned around and had to instantly bend to clear the way for a flying werewolf. It was Theo. Although his face was changed, he didn’t look as similar to an animal as Scott or Liam. It was a chimera thing. His eyes were pure gold and he was now fighting one of the Skinwalkers. His claws were much stronger that his opponent’s armor and pretty soon he turned around and looked at Noshiko.

“Don’t strike,” he said in a growl. A second later his fangs and claws disappeared. “I’m here to help you. It was Ven’s idea.”

She wasn’t going to argue. There was no time for idle disagreements.

“Is Scott with you?” she asked.

The alpha was fighting a barbarian woman a little to the left.

“I’m here,” he gasped. “Where is Kira?”

Noshiko’s eyes fell wide open. _She is here…_ She was not there. She must have gone to kill something or to escape. There was no way of telling if she was still under the influence of the fox, or if, after attacking her mother, she got confused and left.

All of a sudden the ground started shaking and the weather began to change. The dust covering the whole desert started whirling and it wasn’t long before a nice evening turned into a true sandstorm. They looked around and noticed that there were Skinwalkers everywhere. They were coming from a place beneath the earth. It seemed like they have had enough and they were going to get rid of the intruders as a family. There was much strength in working together. They all knew this.

“I’m going to find Kira,” Scott shouted and disappeared in the storm.

Noshiko and Theo looked at each other and without words decided that they needed to come up with a plan. Fighting in the middle of a desert and in the open was a really bad idea. On the other hand, they couldn’t go back to the car; it would be much too risky, and they needed to have something that would allow them to go back to Beacon Hills. The sand was hot and tiring. Time seemed to have stopped and, even though their ears should have been filled with horrible sounds of the Skinwalkers, they heard only wind. It was kind of calming. Up until the moment, when they barely evaded a black spear.

A minute later Theo and Noshiko were once again fighting for their lives. This time their enemies seemed stronger and they were not able to hurt them. The sandstorm must have given them some kind of protection. There was no way they could hold their position long enough for Scott and Kira to come back. They had to run.

Suddenly Theo felt a tearing pain in his thigh and realized that somebody managed to hit him with an arrow. _I thought they only used spears._ He tried to ignore his own blood, when another arrow pierced his lower stomach. He fell to his knees; he wasn’t strong enough to fight back. He saw somebody running towards him with a spear and then something tingled close to his right ear and an invisible force slashed the Skinwalker into pieces. The blood should be all over the chimera, but it fell gently on the sand instead.

Theo felt somebody’s hand on the back of his neck and he wasn’t surprised when he saw Ven. The witch wasn’t really there, but it turned out that his astral projection was enough to make a difference in the fight.

“This is the third time you…” Theo coughed and spat blood.

“You’re not safe yet.” Ven’s face was concerned.

He stood up and with a single wave of his hands created a protective barrier around Theo, Noshiko and himself. It looked like a field of blue energy and, whenever someone or something tried to cross it, they were pushed aside.

“Can you heal?” Ven asked putting his hand on Theo’s forehead. “Why aren’t you healing? What is going on?”

“I think the arrows were poisoned,” Noshiko interrupted. “We won’t be able to help him without medicine. He needs to be taken to the Animal Clinic.”

“Where is Kira?”

“She ran away. Scott followed her.”

Suddenly Theo raised his hand and put it on Ven’s shoulder. He was incredibly weak and there was something nostalgic in his face. Before he was able to say anything, the witch looked him deep in the eyes and shook his head.

“No,” he said with no hesitation. “You’re not dying. There is a way but… it is going to hurt.” There was a spark of hope in the chimera’s eyes, so he continued. “You need to forget the fact that you are a wolf and a coyote. First, focus on your human part and then… start thinking about the essence of your soul.”

“I don’t know…”

“There is nothing to _know_. You need to _feel_.”

The chimera still had no idea what to do and they were running out of time. Death was close. Too close. With slight hesitation Ven put his right hand on Theo’s throat and poured all his magic inside of the other boy’s body. Their eyes fell wide open and went white. The witch felt absolute emptiness. He had to get close enough to touch the soul. He has never done anything like this before but… h _ow hard could it be?_ He went through millions of memories and felt all kinds of emotions; some of them were unknown even to him.

Suddenly, he stopped. He felt _it_ and judging by the smile on his face, so did Theo. The chimera’s eyes become pure gold and his body started healing. He wasn’t transformed. For a moment he forgot that he wasn’t human.

Unexpectedly, they all heard a noise and, before Theo was able to do anything, Ven screamed and his astral projection disappeared.


	4. Baby, I'm burning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may be a little painful :)  
> Hope you still enjoy ;)

_We’ve met before._ Theo thought to himself, when Ven disappeared with a scream. He wasn’t sure if everything that he saw was true, but he had no doubt that there had to be at least some truth to it. When the witch was going through his memories, he made him remember some of the things that had been suppressed for a very long time. Although he saw mostly flashes and fragments of scenes, it was enough for him to realize that Ven had a huge impact on his past. They knew each other very well and spent a lot of time together. Ven was always by his side, in _so_ many different places. There was an overwhelmingly beautiful, monumental city standing in the middle of a great desert; there were fields of green grass and colorful flowers; there was a sunny seashore, the water sparkled with happiness and the beach reminded him of many lazy afternoons that they used to spend together; there were also mysterious nights with starry skies and the moon that filled them with power. He felt pure, strong and right, and, when Ven managed to touch his soul, he realized that his spirit wasn’t human. For a short while, he was neither a chimera nor an ordinary human being. There was something else living in the core of his soul; something truly ancient and out of this world. The new presence struck him with nobility, power and honesty. The golden energy filled his mind and heart, and blinded him with its greatness. Then, he started healing. Love, compassion and ancient wisdom ran through his veins and made him feel safe.

And then, he heard Ven scream and felt horrible pain in his whole body. He has been healed, but his overwhelming connection was lost. There were tears of astonishment in his eyes; he was truly moved and regretted that he wasn’t able to become one with his soul. He promised himself that he would find a way to do this, but right now he had to check on Ven. There was no doubt in his mind that the witch would not simply disappear without any explanation. _And that scream…_ Something must have happened.

“I need to go,” he said, when the protection spell cast by Ven started to disappear.

Noshiko looked at him and for a moment there it seemed that she wanted to stop him, but in the end she simply nodded and threw him her car keys. The Kitsune definitely did not trust Theo, but she was grateful for his help and she was aware of his current confusion. There was something different in his eyes; some kind of emptiness.

“Go. Save your friend.”

As soon as she said that, the magical barrier wore off and her katana met an approaching spear. For a second Theo was about to argue and say that Ven was not his friend, that he was just returning a favor, but he realized that it would be a lie. Even if he didn’t want to admit this to himself, he felt connected to the witch; he couldn’t possibly let him face the danger all alone. He has almost forgotten how it felt to be able to count on someone; to have someone watch your back and to know that they believed that you would do the same for them. It felt… surprisingly good. _I can’t lose that now._

He started running. There were spears and arrows flying all around him, but somehow, thanks to a god or a goddess, or maybe simply thanks to luck, he was able to evade all of them and find his way to the car. He was just about to start the engine, when someone touched his left shoulder through the window. He almost jumped, but a second later he noticed that it was just Stiles. He was standing close to the car and his body seemed to be shaking; he must have been running.

“Where are you going?” he asked. He was breathless. “Shouldn’t you be out there fighting?”

“I’m going back.” Theo’s answer was quick. “Ven protected us from the Skinwalkers, but now… something is hurting him, Stiles. I _need_ to go.”

The boy took a deep breath and tried to pull himself together. Seeing Theo concerned about someone else was… very unexpected. Something has changed in him and it seemed to be for the better. They were far away from Beacon Hills and if the chimera was determined to leave everything and follow an uneasy feeling, then maybe there was something more to it.

“Hold on,” Stiles said with a meaningful look in his eyes. A few seconds later, he was already sitting in the car. “I’m coming with you. Scott, Kira and Noshiko can take care of themselves. After all, they are only fighting the Skinwalkers. What if Ven met the beast?”

Theo’s heart started beating faster and, without hesitation, he pressed the gas pedal. A moment later, the car disappeared in the storm.

*******

_The world was covered in flames. There were burning fields, forests and villages; even rivers and oceans seemed to be eaten by the everlasting fire. The warmth of this place was terribly overwhelming and made it almost impossible to think. Ven was sitting on a small, sandy isle surrounded by endless fields of burning water. He was embracing his own knees in order to keep his mind from wandering off. I need to focus and go back. He told himself. If his mind was trapped in the world made of fire, then his body must have been in similar danger. The situation looked really bad. He needed to put his whole awareness into his soul and free his mind of this imprisonment. Otherwise, he… No. No way._

_“Enough!” he shouted and the world collapsed._

He woke up with a scream. He wasn’t able to open his eyes, but he felt terrible pain tearing his body apart. Something was burning his skin and eating his pure flesh. He knew he had to run, but he couldn’t move his legs. He barely even felt them and it truly scared him. _What happened?_

He remembered being hit and falling. He knew that his astral projection was destroyed and the last memory that he had, was indescribable fear on Theo’s face, when he disappeared. He had no idea how long he was out, but he didn’t need to know that. It didn’t matter. _I shouldn’t have fallen unconscious in the first place._

Suddenly, something happened and his eyes fell open. His apartment was covered in flames and his own body was burning with it. He tried to get up and run, but his legs were no longer working; they just laid there useless and dying. He couldn’t simply die. Not like this. _Not again!_

It was almost seven hundred years ago, but he still remembered it like it was yesterday. His name was different, so were his looks and voice, but his soul was the same. Someone started creating rumors connecting him to satanic rituals and witchcraft. Although he didn’t believe in Satan, and he had nothing to do with the Christian religion, it wasn’t enough to save him. He was burnt at the stake for being a witch. He felt the flames devouring his body and knew that his life energy was coming to an end. He couldn’t go through that again.

“Bast, please,” he whispered. “Tefnut… Shu.”

All of a sudden, when he thought that all hope was gone, a shadow ran before his eyes and disappeared in the flames. He started shaking; there was no way he could defend himself in something decided to attack him. For a few seconds, nothing happened and he was starting to think that his eyes were deceiving him, when, unexpectedly, he felt a pair of strong arms picking him from the floor. Ven was barely able to keep his eyes open. Someone was carrying him out of his burning apartment; even though everything was covered in hurt and fire, his rescuer didn’t seem to care. They crossed the living room; that was the last time that the witch saw his altar. His ritual candles were cut into pieces and the table was destroyed, probably with an axe. _Someone is going to pay for this._

Suddenly, Ven heard a voice.

“Are you still alive?”

It was a male voice and it belonged to his savior. He was evading pieces of burning apartment and looking at the boy at the same time. His face was both concentrated and concerned. He had short, dark hair, a nice stubble and deep, brown eyes. Ven has never seen the man before, but he was definitely grateful.

“I’ll be fine,” he gasped. “Thank you.”

The man smiled a little, not stopping or slowing down even for a second.

“Don’t thank me yet. This fire is not normal.”

 _Of course, it isn’t._ The witch’s legs were useless, but he was still able to move his hands enough to help. They were standing in front of the main entrance to the building. The door was not there, but something else _was_. A wall of hungry flames blocked the way out and it seemed that running through it was not an option. _Okay, let’s do this._ Ven focused his mind on his right arm. A second later, he waved his hand and screamed out of pain. He knew he was close to death, but… he had to escape. All of a sudden, they heard a powerful wind blowing out of nowhere, and the fiery wall disappeared. Without hesitation, the man carried the boy outside. As soon as they felt a shiver of pure air on their faces, they started breathing; deep, slow and hungry.

The man was still carrying Ven in his arms. They were headed in an unknown to the boy direction. _The forest? Why would he take me into the woods?_ He wondered. Suddenly, he heard a question.

“Are you healing?”

_He thinks I’m a supernatural creature. Probably assumes that I’m a werewolf._

“I’m not a werewolf.”

“That’s bad. I should have some medicine in my house, but you are really hurt…”

“I just need to rest in peace.”

The man didn’t argue. He simply kept moving deeper into the forest. With every tree they passed, Ven seemed to be more and more at ease. He still felt unimaginable amount of pain in his body, but there was something incredibly calming about the nature around them. It wanted to help, to heal. It came to the boy as a beautiful song that went through his body, filled his mind and touched the soul. He knew he was going to fall asleep. _Gods, I hope I’m not dying._ He wasn’t sure and he didn’t have enough strength left to foresee it. Before he was even able to warn his rescuer, his eyes closed and he fell unconscious.

*******

The sand in Scott’s eyes was truly unbearable. He was moving forward looking for Kira, even though the storm seemed to be intentionally blocking his path. Fortunately, the Skinwalkers were no longer bothering him; he must have lost them. He needed to think. _What am I going to say to Kira? What if she is still under the influence of the fox?_ He was the alpha – that was true. It made him very powerful and strong; strong enough to defeat the Kitsune in a fight. But how could he fight his own girlfriend? He didn’t want to hurt her. _What if I won’t be able to save her?_ No. That was unacceptable.

Suddenly, he heard whispers. At first, he couldn’t understand them, but, after a few moments, something changed and they became clear.

“Do you honestly think that you are their leader?”

Scott stopped and looked around. There was nobody there. Something was talking to him from inside of his head. He got confused.

“I never said that,” he answered.

“Is that so? But you feel that way, don’t you?”

“They need me. They can’t stay united without their alpha. They’re afraid. I can’t simply abandon them.”

For a few moments, there was no answer. Scott was just about to continue following Kira’s scent, when he heard the voice again.

“You will find her.”

It was surprising. There was no more hate in the air. It turned into honesty and hope. It couldn’t be happening inside of Scott’s mind. That unknown thing or things… Whatever it was, it had a complex personality and it was able to fill the alpha with many various feelings.

“I know,” Scott answered.

“But you won’t have time to save him.”

After these words, the voice disappeared and the werewolf was no longer able to feel its vibration. _What are you talking about?_ He didn’t even want to think about losing… He wasn’t sure, whether someone in his pack was in danger, or… _Maybe it was about Ven?_ He had no answer for himself. Ven was definitely _not_ part of the pack, but the alpha had a weird feeling that it could change in the future. Even though the witch wasn’t a supernatural creature… _Stiles isn’t either_. The one thing that did trouble Scott, was Ven’s connection to Theo. For now, it was kind of acceptable, but sooner or later he would have to choose a pack, a side in the conflict. Maybe he wanted to stay neutral. _But… that could only get him killed._

“Kira!” Scott shouted, trying to gather his thoughts.

The weather was changing; the wind seemed to be calmer and the sandstorm was practically over. _Thankfully, no one died._ He was trying to follow the Kitsune’s scent, but, with each passing second, it was becoming weaker and more distant. She must have started running. He knew that he was losing that ‘race’.

Suddenly, the air around him started vibrating and, before he was even able to gasp in surprise, he saw Ven. It was only his spirit, but, nevertheless, he looked very real. He was wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. His whole body was burnt, but he didn’t seem to be in any kind of pain. For a while, the alpha had no idea what to say.

“Are you dead?” he asked, after he had put himself together.

“Not yet,” Ven answered with a smile. “But I don’t have much time. I need to focus on healing, so we need to be brief here.”

“Thanks for sending Theo.”

The witch looked at him in surprise. He knew nothing of telling Theo to help Scott. That _did_ explain the chimera’s disappearance from the apartment, but it was still truly unexpected.

“You’re welcome,” he said. _Maybe things will be better if he thinks that I did something to help him._ “Hold on. Focus your thoughts on Kira and let me help you find her.”

The werewolf felt tickling in the back of his head, and then he just knew, where he was supposed to go. At the same moment, Ven’s spirit became blurry and disappeared. Scott had no more time to waste. He needed to run.

*******

The night was dark. They’ve been driving for more than six hours and they were getting close to Beacon Hills. Their whole journey was covered in silence; there were to many things happening around them to simply… talk… about stuff. It was not the first time that they did something together. Last time Theo killed Josh to protect Stiles and, well, it wasn’t good. Since that day, both their lives have been filled with secrets and lies.

Suddenly Theo squinted his eyes and looked at the other boy.

“What happened to your car?” he asked.

“I left it in New Mexico. The others need to be able to come back too, you know.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but, in that case, shouldn’t your keys be in the car?”

Stiles looked at him in surprise. _Is he really that basic?_

“Of course, they should, you dumbass.”

Theo started laughing.

“What? Why are you laughing?”

“They’re in your pocket. Dumbass.”

“What?!” Stiles jumped and realized that it was true. “Crap. We need to go back.”

The chimera made a face that was a mixture of anger and worry, and kept on driving to Beacon Hills. They had no time to lose. Ven was suffering and it was all Theo’s fault. At least that’s what he thought. He was the one that left the witch defenseless in bed and… _No. It’ll be all right._ It had to be. They just needed to hurry up.

“Didn’t you hear me?” Stiles repeated himself.

It was kind of irritating. But… he needed to help Scott. He couldn’t bear the thought of letting him down once again.

“We are not going back,” Theo answered through his teeth. Although his face looked calm and focused, it wasn’t difficult to say that he was nervous. It wasn’t his usual state and Stiles wasn’t sure if he liked it.

“But Scott…”

The chimera stopped him with a look; his eyes were filled with rage and fire, but it wasn’t evil. It felt like justice and concern.

“Ven may be dying. We are _not_ going back.”

Stiles found no proper answer to that. He wasn’t sure if he liked the new Theo, but he was definitely less worried about being betrayed. This whole situation seemed a bit weird to him. _Why would Ven need help?_ He still remembered horrible visions that filled his mind, when the witch was trying to ‘make a point’ in the clinic. There was so much power in Ven’s hands. If someone was able to defeat that, Stiles didn’t even want to imagine how powerful that ‘someone’ had to be. _Scott will figure out a way to come back._

An hour later, they were already back in Beacon Hills. It was dawning. The sun was once again coming back after a night of constant struggle in the underworld. Theo felt a little calmer; he even smiled a bit and released a deep breath. _Everything is going to be fine._ He really wanted to believe that and… to his own surprise, he did. They were driving through the town; it seemed truly sleepy and peaceful.

Suddenly, Stiles’s phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Stiles, where are you?” It was his dad. He was calling from his work number and there was worry in his voice.

“I’m already back in Beacon Hills.”

“Is Scott with you?”

“No. I’m with Theo.” Sheriff sighed in surprise. “Yes, dad. _That_ Theo. Why are you calling? Did something happen?”

“I just came home and you were not there. It is a good enough reason to start worrying about you.”

“You _just_ came home? What happened?

“There was a fire. An apartment in the block of flats near the woods was utterly destroyed. We didn’t find the body, but there was a lot of blood. There were also some ancient ritual tools. Very weird things.”

Stiles’s face went pale. He really didn’t want to tell Theo, but he had to. He said ‘bye’, hung up and turned to the other boy. He must have noticed his irregular heartbeat, because he was looking at Stiles with terrible expectation in his eyes.

“Ven’s apartment was burnt.”

It was as simple as that. Nothing more, nothing less. A shadow ran through the chimera’s face and disappeared. _He is fine. He has to be._ Theo couldn’t concentrate, so he decided to drive faster instead. They were really close. Only two streets left.

It turned out that it wasn’t just the apartment that burned down. The whole block of flats was covered in smoke and it was extremely dangerous for anyone to step inside. Police officers have already left and firefighters did what was in their power. Nevertheless, there wasn’t much left of the building.

“I’m coming in,” Theo said, when they got out of the car.

“Are you crazy? It can collapse at any moment!”

The chimera didn’t listen. He crossed the main door and carefully followed the corridor that led to Ven’s apartment. The smell was horrible; it was similar to burnt plastic. _At least it doesn’t smell like meat._ He needed to move faster. Only a few more steps and… he stood at the door. Theo felt very nervous. He has never experienced feelings like these before. They made him feel really vulnerable and he wasn’t sure if he liked it; they touched the human part of him and… it was truly scary. There was too much hesitation going through his head. He had to focus.

“Okay. Let’s go in.”

It was Stiles. To the chimera’s surprise, he went after him and was now standing just behind his back. It was… reassuring.

They opened the door. Even though it was very hot, they felt a wave of strange, cool energy and started shivering. Theo stepped inside and looked around. Everything was destroyed. The altar was completely ruined, the candles cut into pieces. The wonderful atmosphere that filled the room just a day before, was gone. Now, there was only pain and destruction. _People that did this, really knew, what they were doing. Who would come after you?_ He shook his head and started looking for any kind of signs of Ven.

“I don’t think he is here,” Stiles said, interrupting his thoughts.

Suddenly, Stiles’s phone buzzed. It was a text from Scott.

_Found Kira. Coming back. Car works. Ven in danger._

“Who was it?” Theo asked.

“Scott. He knows about Ven.”

Unexpectedly, the chimera roared and looked at Stiles.

“Hold on. I’ve got something.”

He went closer to the altar. It looked very tiny and weak; there was no more power left in it and it was truly terrifying. Everything was covered in blood and there was no doubt about whose blood that was. On the floor next to the table, Theo noticed a small scrap of cloth. It came from Ven’s T-shirt and it was filled with his scent. The boy breathed it in and felt a spark of hope. Somehow he knew that the witch was still alive. _There is still time._ He just needed to focus and he would be able to find Ven by following his scent. He was going to leave the apartment, when he realized that Stiles wasn’t moving. He was just standing in the middle of the room; his breathing was weak and irregular.

“What’s wrong?” Theo asked.

The body didn’t answer. There was too much pain in his heart. He was pretty sure that he had closed that part of his past, but it seemed that he did not. When he was very young and his mother was still alive, his family owned a beautiful house just outside Beacon Hills. Whenever Stiles had a break from school, they would go there and appreciate the peaceful life. That was the time, when Stiles had a dog named Vyle. Soon after his father brought Vyle home, they all fell in love with the animal and allowed it to be with them all the time. Everything was lovely, until the day, when their cottage got struck by a lightning. While Stiles and his parents were able to escape, Vyle wasn’t that lucky. He burnt together with the house. Stiles hasn’t been able to have a pet since. It was just too painful and… the realization of what happened in Ven’s apartment was… overwhelming.

Suddenly, the boy felt a punch on his chest and noticed that Theo was staring at him in surprise. He didn’t feel like telling him his story.

“I’m fine. You’ve got the scent?”

“I do. We need to go into the woods.”

“Why would a witch go into the woods? Wasn’t he hurt? He should have gone to the hospital.”

“Look at the blood. These footprints are not Ven’s. They are bigger and, whatever left them, was a lot heavier that Ven. Somebody took him. We’re running out of time. Come on. Let’s go.”

Without waiting for Stiles’s reaction, Theo came closer to a destroyed window and jumped outside. The boy shouted something like ‘wait for me’, but the chimera had no more time to lose. Ven could be dying that very minute and he wasn’t able to help him. _Why do I even want to help him?_ For many days, his main desire was to steal the power of the beast. _What changed?_ He couldn’t understand, why he would chase after a person that he barely knew, instead of doing something that could bring him closer to his goals.

It was something like 6am and the woods were still covered in deep mist that seemed almost magical. It reminded him of something, although he wasn’t able to create a full picture of that memory. _Maybe someday I’ll remember everything._ He didn’t even want to wonder, why he had some black holes in his mind; it was too much to take at the moment. _First, save Ven. Second, worry about other things._ The scent was getting stronger with each step that he took. He was getting closer, and yet there was something heavy lying on his chest. It was partly because of his worry, that was true, but the main reason was his need; he desperately wanted to find a way to build a permanent connection to his soul. _Why am I thinking of this now?_

Suddenly, he realized that he was standing in front of an abounded house. It felt weird and dangerous, but the scent was leading him inside. He went a little closer and pricked up his ears; his supernatural senses almost made him shiver. Ven was inside the cottage, but he wasn’t alone. There was someone else’s heartbeat as well.

Theo took a deep breath and touched the wooden door. It opened without any trouble; it was not locked. _Why would it be? It’s in the middle of the forest._ He stepped inside and for a short moment his heart stopped beating. He found himself inside of a spacious area that looked a little like a living room. Right in the middle of it, there was Ven. He was lying on an old sofa. _So small and vulnerable._ His body was covered in blood and in many places it was terribly burnt. His breathing was shallow and it was obvious that he wasn’t healing. He looked frighteningly tired and almost dying. _I failed him._ Theo thought to himself and, at the same moment, realized that they were not alone in the room. A tall, strong man was standing next to the sofa. His hair and stubble were dark brown and his eyes sparkled with gold.

The chimera didn’t want to even think about what the man was doing with Ven. He needed to stop him. A few thoughts flashed through his mind, but he waved them away. A second later, he shifted and, with an angry roar, threw himself at the stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of the chapter comes from a song by Dolly Parton :)
> 
> Tefnut - egyptian goddes of rain and water.
> 
> Shu - egyptian god of air and wind.


	5. Dream a little dream of me...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see :)  
> Things finally seem more clear.

Theo was fighting with all his strength, but it seemed like the other man was simply evading all his strikes. He was a werewolf, that much was obvious judging by his scent, but he didn’t shift, when the chimera threw himself at him. There was no rage, no anger in his eyes. He looked annoyed, at most.

Suddenly, the front door slammed and a moment later the air got cut by one sharp word.

“Derek?” It was Stiles. He followed Theo’s trace and felt real surprise, when he realized that the first true werewolf that he has ever met was back.

Although they stopped fighting, Theo was still hesitant and didn’t want to shift back. He looked at Ven. His breathing was weak and shallow, and it was obvious that his body was tormented by terrible pain. _Why would anyone want to hurt him like this?_

“What did you do to him?” he asked, focusing his eyes on the wolf.

“I carried him out of the burning apartment and brought him here.”

“You…” he was about to get angry, when it struck him that he might have been wrong. “Oh, you saved him?”

“I felt someone dying. It was just an impulse. He was still conscious, when I found him.   
I think he is better now.”

“Better? He looks like someone who was about to be burnt on a stake. Why is he blacked out? Because of the pain?”

“I think he’s healing. At least that’s what he said. He used his magic to calm the flames, when we were trying to leave the building. When we stepped into the woods, he said he needed to sleep in peace and asked me not to take him to the hospital.”

“Wow,” Stiles chuckled, “I don’t think you have ever used so many words to construct   
a single answer before.”

“Stiles.” Derek gave him his usual glance.

“And… we are back to normal.”

“ There is nothing normal about this situation,” Theo said and shifted back to his human form. _I need to help him. He’s the only one who can explain this whole… my… me._ He went closer to the sofa and crouched carefully. He didn’t want to disturb Ven’s healing, but he hoped he could take away at least some of his pain.

“I’ve already tried that,” Derek said in a warning. “It didn’t work.”

The werewolf was standing close to Stiles and his eyes seemed to be examining the boy; he was checking if everything was okay. They haven’t seen each other in a very long time. They both had girlfriends and… It was _really_ complicated.

Suddenly, they heard a soft gasp and realized that Theo was lying unconscious on the floor.

***

When he opened his eyes, he saw only darkness. It was everywhere and it felt kind of heartwarming, almost inviting. _This is not a good sign._ He had no idea what happened, but he was no longer in Derek’s house. He wasn’t sure if he was anywhere at all. It seemed like he got thrown into the nothingness. He tried to take a few steps forward. Although he was able to do that, the world around him stayed the same. _I am trapped. What the hell is this place? Where is Ven?_ He was struggling with his thoughts, when, unexpectedly, endless darkness turned into pure light, and, a few seconds later, he realized he was in a place that seemed oddly familiar.

He was standing in the middle of an extremely overwhelming garden. There were so many colors that he was barely able to breathe properly; he wanted to take it all in. Green leaves covered everything with peace and love, and red and yellow flowers filled Theo with hope. There was a sound of falling water, soft and joyful; even though he didn’t see it, he was sure that is was sparkling with gold. He needed to experience everything. Before he was able to move in order to look for the water place, he realized that the air tasted like summer rain, flowers and honey. It felt too good to be true. It felt like… home.

Theo couldn’t help but smile. There was nothing more that he wanted to do. _I want to stay here. Can I… Can I stay here? Forever?_

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him. He didn’t need to turn around to know whom it belonged to.

“I am afraid you cannot.” It was Ven. His body was still very hurt but he didn’t seem to feel any kind of pain. He was at peace. There was a warm smile on his face and his brown eyes sparkled like gold. “Neither can I.”

Even though Theo knew that the witch wasn’t suffering, he wasn’t able to simply skip the fact that his skin was terribly damaged.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice a little too weak.

Ven was expecting him to say it again; he was pretty sure that the chimera would want to sound a bit more confident. To his surprise, nothing like that happened, and the other boy was simply looking at him with worry and hope in his eyes.

“I am… better now. What are you doing here, Theo? Shouldn’t you be in New Mexico?”

“I never should have left.” His voice was strained but it was obvious that he needed to say something more. “I should have realized that leaving you weak and unconscious in an empty apartment was a terrible idea. Whatever happened, that fire, it is kind of my fault. I should have stayed, Ven.”

Ven was truly surprised. He didn’t expect to hear anything like that; not from Theo and not at that particular moment. There was something in the chimera’s voice and in his eyes that made the witch weak as a child. He could hardly believe it, when the next words came out of his mouth. “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.” The situation was getting really tense. _I need to change the subject before something dangerous happens._ “Do you know where we are?”

Theo shook his head. He said nothing more; he was just standing there and staring into Ven’s eyes. He was worried. Nothing more, nothing less.

“This place,” Ven started but he knew that the chimera wasn’t really listening. He sighed and his smile widened. “Oh, for goodness’s sake, just do it.”

Before the witch was even able to think about what he said, Theo was already standing a few inches from him and pulling him into his arms. Although unexpected, it was definitely nice, warm and very sweet. It worked really well with the aura of the garden. Suddenly, the sound of water became louder, and little birds that were hiding in the bushes started singing. Even though it was lovely and romantic, the situation was becoming truly overwhelming.

“It is going to feel really weird, when we go back to the real world,” Ven tried, but it only made Theo hug him even tighter.

“Shut up.”

Ven laughed a little.

“I know you must be pretty confused, but I promise that it will get easier,” he said. “Look,   
I don’t know how long we’ll be able to stay here, and there are some things that… It will be better if hear of them in this garden. Trust me.”

Their embrace loosened a little, and there was a smirk on Theo’s face, when he finally let Ven go. He was still standing quite close, but it was clear that he was ready to talk. Now that he knew that the witch was safe, he could focus on the questions that were arising in his mind from the moment Ven touched his soul.

“Does this have something to do with those flashbacks?” he asked.

“It does and it does not at the same time. It’s a little complicated. There isn’t enough time for me to tell you the whole story, but the important thing is that this, this garden and everything surrounding it, this is our home. It is the most beautiful place in the whole universe and we will never be able to return here. Many years ago, we were banished. They made us go through a portal that placed our souls on Earth. It is an awful curse and, believe me, I’ve tried everything that I was able to think of. Nothing worked.”

“Is this world very different from ours… from Earth?”

“Are you sure you want to know everything?”

“I am. I felt something. It was like… there was some kind of power coming from a place deep inside me. I don’t know, what it was, but it felt… right.”

Ven smiled. He wasn’t sure, whether telling Theo about all the things that they’ve lost was   
a good idea, but… he had a right to know.

“When I touched your soul, you stopped being a chimera. For a moment, you weren’t even human. You were able to feel the true power hidden within your spirit. Did it feel warm? Did you see bright colors? Gold?”

Theo nodded. “I did. Loosing that feeling was…”

“I know.” For a few seconds there was only silence. Then, Ven continued. “We used to be immortal. Don’t think that immortality in something common in our world. It is not. I am   
a child of two gods, and, therefore, my power gives me endless life and magic. You are the last golden dragon, Theo. All dragons are immortal.”

Theo’s eyes opened in shock.

“I am… a dragon?”

“Actually, you are not _a_ dragon. You are _the_ dragon. Your father was…”

Ven wasn’t able to finish, because suddenly the world started shaking and his vision became blurry. He heard a terrible scream and, before he managed to do anything, he lost control over his body and fell to the ground.

***

The first thing that Theo heard was the sound of a waterfall. It filled him with joy and he knew that he was happy. In real world happiness was something that he almost managed to forget, but in this land of wonders… he sensed the world with all his heart. When he opened his eyes, he got struck by millions of bright, juicy colors. He was standing in the middle of   
a tropical forest. Birds were singing, the air was dewy and the sun was shining warmly through the leaves.

Suddenly, he heard a heartwarming laughter. He looked around and saw Ven; the boy was sitting by the stream with his feet in the water. He was wearing a white tunic and his hair was a little wet.

Theo smiled and realized that he wasn’t in control of his body; he took a few steps and sat next to Ven. The witch turned his gaze from the water and looked Theo in the eyes. His skin was like sunshine and the energy that surrounded him covered the world with purity, innocence and love.

“Are you okay?” Ven asked, his voice light and soft. “You seem troubled.”

At that moment, Theo realized that he was supposed to answer himself. His vision-self gave him back control over his body and senses. He hesitated. _Should I speak as me or am  
I expected to behave like I was a part of this world?_ He didn’t know what to say. Fortunately, before he was even able to construct a sentence, Ven spoke again.

“You are a part of this world, Theo. Our souls were born here and this is our home. What are you worried about?”

“I have no memory of this place…”

“Maybe there is a good reason why things are the way they are? Have you thought of that?”

He has not. Everything was happening so fast. _Too fast._ A few days ago, his life was very simple; he had one simple goal in his life and he only wanted to become more powerful. He wanted to be feared and respected at the same time. He created his own pack, outmaneuvered the doctors and even managed to escape the beast. He was very close to making his dreams come true and then… then he met Ven. One brief conversation and he was no longer sure of anything. With each passing day his hesitation and curiosity were becoming more intense; he wanted to learn about himself, about his soul and the power that, if Ven was telling the truth, lived within his soul.

“Don’t worry. It will be okay.”

Having said that, Ven leaned closer and slightly kissed the edge of Theo’s lower lip. The chimera was so surprised that he fell to the ground and sank into the darkness.

***

Ven was burning again. No, not burning. Freezing. He was freezing and he didn’t know why. He opened his eyes and realized that the world around him was covered with snow and ice. Everything was white and silent. _First fire, now cold. What is going to come next?_ He’s had really enough of these dreams and visions. He was trying to understand their cause but he found himself unable to do it. He felt weak. Very weak. Like there was something stealing his life energy.

Suddenly, a soft, stable voice filled the air.

“Why are you here, child?”

The witch looked around but he knew he wasn’t going to see anyone. The goddess was with him in spirit, her body was far away. He took a deep breath and shivered.

“It is just a dream, Bast. Something is playing tricks on me.”

For a moment, there was no answer. Then, the voice came again, stronger that before.

“This is no dream. You will not wake up. You need to find a way out.”

“But… why am I here?” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer, but he _did_ want to go back. He had to talk to Theo. He needed to explain…

“You are here, because you have to answer a question. It is not for my knowledge.” Ven squinted his eyes and his heart got filled with worry and curiosity. Suddenly, he felt a weird energy consuming the world around him. It felt like honesty, courage, strength and love combined together. Ice and snow covering the earth, trees and flowers started melting and,   
a few seconds later, Ven was standing in the middle of a beautiful garden.

“Ra,” he said, his breath slow and calm.

“Yes, son. It’s me.” Although the voice of the god of sun was extremely powerful, it was filled with love and compassion. “Have you changed, Ven?”

The young man knew right away what his guardian spirit was asking him about. It was kind of funny, because Ra didn’t really need to hear the answer. He knew it before he even asked the question. Maybe, when Bast said that is wasn’t for her knowledge, she actually meant that he needed to answer it for his own sake. _Have I changed?_ He wondered. It wasn’t a question concerning his present life. Ra wanted him to ask himself, whether he understood what he did wrong in his first incarnation on Earth. Ven sighed. The thought of the ancient times filled him with pain and sadness. He saw blood, death and great fear. At that time, in Egypt, he hadn’t realized that it was fear – he was sure that he was immune to such a feeling, but now… now he knew. There was nothing courageous in stealing life energy from innocent people.

“I believe I have, my lord,” he answered.

“In that case,” Ra hesitated, “be very careful, son.”

When the god of sun said these words, the world started trembling and a few moments later Ven woke up with an uncontrolled scream.

***

His scream was so powerful that, if focused, it would probably be able to wake the dead. He felt restless and his body still needed time and peace to heal; it was not easy to reconstruct   
a burnt body from within. He couldn’t stop shaking. _These dreams will be the end of me._ He thought and opened his eyes. At first, his vision was a little blurry, but after a few seconds he realized that he was sitting on a sofa in a cottage in the middle of the forest. His memory went through the images of his burning apartment, and then it reminded him of what had happened in New Mexico. _Theo._ They desperately needed to talk; he had to explain everything and, this time, he had to be clear about it.

Unexpectedly, Ven felt a pair of warm arms embracing him tightly and filling him with strength. He knew these arms. It took him a moment, but he was soon able not only to feel, but also to see Theo. His brown t-shirt looked a little dirty and smelled of blood. The boy must have been wearing it while fighting the Skinwalkers in New Mexico.

“You’re really here,” Ven whispered with his lips slightly touching the side of Theo’s neck.   
“I thought I was dreaming. I wasn’t sure if it was the real you I was talking to.”

“I’m here and it was me. I think we were dreaming the same dreams.”

Suddenly, the witch shivered and gently escaped Theo’s embrace. Something wasn’t right.

“ _A_ dream,” he said, looking the other boy in the eyes.

“No… There were two dreams…”

“I know that, but you were not a part of the second one. Was I a part of your second dream? What happened? Did we talk? Did I tell you anything important? Did I do anything weird? Anything at all?”

Theo gulped, looked at Ven’s mouth and slightly bit his lower lip.

“Oh.” Ven was terrified. He wasn’t expecting for something like that to happen. And… the most awkward thing about all of this was the fact that it did _not_ really happen. _I have nothing to apologize for._ He thought. After all, it wasn’t _his_ dream.

Suddenly, the witch felt something vibrating in Theo’s pants. “Are you kidding me? What…”

“It’s my phone,” the chimera answered with laughter. “It’s Hayden.” For a moment the boy seemed uncertain whether he should answer, but the look in Ven’s eyes made him pick up. “Is it important?”

“Theo, something happened.” The girl’s voice was trembling and is sounded as if she wasn’t sure whether she should be angry or scared. “It’s really bad and I don’t know what to do. Everything is so…”

“Just tell me what happened.” Theo would have probably already lost his patience if it wasn’t for the fact that Ven was still sitting next to him. His presence made him calmer. “Hold on,” he warned and put her on speaker. “Go on.”

“Corey is dead.”

“You wouldn’t be this scared if he was simply dead,” Ven interrupted. “Tell us everything.”

For a few moments, there was no answer and petrifying silence filled the room with worry and the burden of uncertainty. Theo was breathing heavily and the witch remembered that they were not alone in the cottage. Derek and Stiles were standing near the front door, both their gazes focused on the chimera’s phone.

“Hayden, is Liam with you?” Ven asked; he knew she was too scared to speak.

“I am,” the young werewolf’s voice came rather quickly. “Look, Ven… I’m not sure what to tell you. Corey is… his body is very… white. His eyes are full of fear and his skin…”

“Is wrinkled,” Ven whispered and his words were barely hearable.

Theo, Derek and Stiles looked at him in surprise. It wasn’t going to be easy to explain to them the reason why a young boy would look like and old man. Nevertheless, it had to be done.

“How did you…” Liam’s voice seemed broken.

“I just know.” Ven took a careful breath as if taking a deeper one could make the situation even worse. “You need to do exactly as I say. Take Corey’s body to the Animal Clinic and meet us there in a few hours. Find Tracy and take her with you.” He hesitated. “Did you see what killed him?”

“It looked like a sha…”

“The shadow. Be extremely careful.”

After saying that, he snapped his fingers and the phone call ended with a click. Ven sighed and realized that all eyes were on him. _Later._ He almost begged in his thoughts. He had to finish his conversation with Theo. It was a priority.

“We cannot do everything at the same time,” he said. “I’ll tell you what I know a little later, but… I do not know much.”

“So… was it the beast of the doctors?” Stiles asked.

“Neither.”

Suddenly, the front door fell open and Scott walked into the cottage. Behind him were Noshiko and Kira, both looking in need of rest and healing.

“Okay,” the alpha sighed with relief. “Everyone is safe.”

“Corey is dead,” Stiles met him at the door with a light hug, “we just found out. Something sucked away his life and made him old. At least that’s what Liam said.”

Ven wasn’t listening to them. He gently squeezed Theo’s hand, gave him a small smile and stood up; at first, he got weak and his head started aching, but after a few seconds his strength came back and he felt more stable. Although he looked very tired, his inner light was fully healed. _It is going to be all right._ He told himself. The thought made him calmer.

“One thing at a time,” he said.

“You were right all along.” Noshiko’s voice was a little shaky. “There was no point in going there and…”

“Do not lose your spirit. There is a way to help Kira and we’ll take care of this as soon as   
I finish my conversation with Theo.”

“What kind of _way_ is that?” Kira asked silently. “I feel _so_ angry, but I’m already tired.”

“Not now.” He looked at Theo. “We really need to talk before we do anything else. It is extremely important and… people may die if we don’t do this.”

Ven knew he was exaggerating to the point that it was almost funny, but he had to say something. It turned out that nobody was going to stop him from leaving with Theo. Boys looked at one another and walked outside.

It was probably something around 5pm, because the sun was shining warmly and the light that it cast was a mixture of red, orange and yellow. The forest was alive and looked truly magical. The trees were humming with wisdom and the wind seemed to possess a life-giving power that filled the boys with joy.

“People may die?” Theo asked with a smirk.

“I honestly didn’t think it was going to work,” Ven said smiling. He took a look around and sighed with disappointment. “This is why I really wanted to talk to you in our dreamy garden. Look,” he pointed to the trees, “they are tired. The earth beneath our feet is dry and even the magical aura of this place cannot compare to our beautiful world. Nothing here is perfect. Nothing.”

“That’s not true.” Theo’s smirk widened.

“No. Just… no. I’m going to turn you into stone and then smash you into pieces,” he paused. “You need to hear the rest of the story.”

“But don’t I already know the most important things?”

The chimera wanted to tease a little longer, but the look in the witch’s eyes made him reconsider. A moment later they were both sitting on the soft moss.

“As I was saying in our garden, you are the last golden dragon and your father… was the last king of your race. Even though there are no more people left for you to rule over and though you cannot really use your inner power, being your father’s son… makes you a prince. It may not be important to the people living on Earth, but it is definitely something amazing to me, and I’m going to tell you now, as I always do, that you should be proud of who and what you are. It is beautiful.”

Theo stood up and started wandering around. He was deeply troubled and it seemed like his inner struggle was finally going to come out. His breathing was heavy and his heart was pounding in a crazy, wild way.

“You don’t know even half the things that I’ve done,” he said with a gulp. “I’ve hurt and even killed many people. Some of them were innocent. There is nothing beautiful in me. You want to think that there is, but there is _not_.”

“Will it make you feel better if I tell you that you were not fully responsible for all those things?”

Theo’s eyes went dark.

“What do you mean?”

“Your heart. It isn’t really yours. Your soul is aware of that and it cannot truly connect with it. This… conflict is the cause of your temporary madness. It is also the reason why you can’t become one with your inner dragon.”

The chimera looked as if someone stole all his hope and replaced it with nothingness. It was obvious that he desperately needed to hear something that would restore his strength.

“But I… I thought we were going to fix… I hoped that…”

Ven stood up and took a few steps in Theo’s direction. He knew he needed to be careful, but at the same time he wanted to give his friend some comfort. For a while they were just standing there looking at each other, when, suddenly, Theo came closer and gave Ven a tight hug; it was so tight that the witch could literally feel himself lying on the other boy’s chest. He was a little surprised, but he wasn’t going to complain. _Not about this kind of hugging._

“I need you,” Theo whispered, there were tears on his cheeks. “I… I never _needed_ to need anyone, but I’m… lost.”

“I’m here.” Ven’s words were calm and filled with care. He took a deep breath with his nose pressed to the chimera’s neck, and realized that there was no summer rain or honey. There was only an ocean of fear and a tiny spark of hope. “We will cure your body, reconnect your soul and get back your immortality. I give you my word and promise my help. No matter what.”

“Immortality?” Their embrace loosened and they were now looking each other in the eyes.

“I’ve already mentioned it in our garden. It’s not as simple as immortality in fantasy books, but yes, we _are_ immortal. It may be connected to the thing that killed Corey, but I should probably explain this not only to you, but also to Scott’s pack. Do you feel better?”

Theo smirked, and it was enough for Ven to decide that they should go back to the cottage.

**Author's Note:**

> The name of the series comes from a song by Mariah Carey. One of my favourite songs of all time :)


End file.
